Adam and Steve
Encyclopedia
"Adam and Steve" is a phrase
that originated from a conservative Christian slogan "God made Adam and Eve
, not Adam and Steve", intended to concisely summarize Judeo-Christian
Bible-based arguments against homosexual practices or homosexuality
. Among other things, it implies that the natural way of life for humanity is illustrated by the Biblical account of the creation of human beings as a male-female pair.
The phrase appeared, on a protest sign, as early as 1977, as mentioned in a New York Times news service report about a November 19 rally in Houston that year. Two years later, Jerry Falwell
gave the phrase wider circulation in a Christianity Today
report of a press conference he had given.
Phrase
In everyday speech, a phrase may refer to any group of words. In linguistics, a phrase is a group of words which form a constituent and so function as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence. A phrase is lower on the grammatical hierarchy than a clause....
that originated from a conservative Christian slogan "God made Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
, not Adam and Steve", intended to concisely summarize Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
Bible-based arguments against homosexual practices or homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Among other things, it implies that the natural way of life for humanity is illustrated by the Biblical account of the creation of human beings as a male-female pair.
The phrase appeared, on a protest sign, as early as 1977, as mentioned in a New York Times news service report about a November 19 rally in Houston that year. Two years later, Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
gave the phrase wider circulation in a Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
report of a press conference he had given.
In popular culture
- Paul RudnickPaul RudnickPaul M. Rudnick is an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. His plays include I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla and The New Century. He also wrote for Premiere magazine under the pseudonym Libby Gelman-Waxner, and for Spy.Rudnick grew up in Piscataway...
's play The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told – a title parodying The Greatest Story Ever ToldThe Greatest Story Ever ToldThe Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George Stevens and distributed by United Artists. It is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ, from the Nativity through the Resurrection. This film is notable for its large ensemble cast and for being the last...
– pokes fun at the idea by retelling the creation story with the main characters "Adam" and "Steve". The story goes on to include good pals, and lesbians, "Jane" and "Mabel", instead of Cain and AbelCain and AbelIn the Hebrew Bible, Cain and Abel are two sons of Adam and Eve. The Qur'an mentions the story, calling them the two sons of Adam only....
, the Biblical sonSonA son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter.-Social issues regarding sons:In pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters,...
s of Adam and Eve. - An eponymous film, Adam & SteveAdam & SteveAdam & Steve is a 2005 LGBT romantic comedy film directed by and starring Craig Chester, who also wrote the screenplay. It deals with the lives of two gay men, played by Chester and Malcolm Gets...
, as well as a film with the punPunThe pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
ning title Adam & YvesAdam & YvesAdam & Yves is a 1974 X-rated film created for gay male audiences. The film is notable for the unauthorized use of footage of Greta Garbo, in what turned out to be the legendary actress's final appearance on film....
, "YvesYves (given name)Yves is a common French male given name that is derived from the Indo-European root "iwa" which gave "uvos" in Gaulish...
" being a French male name pronounced like "Eve" in English. - Television producer Danny ArnoldDanny ArnoldDanny Arnold was an American producer, writer, comedian, actor and director known for producing Barney Miller, That Girl and Bewitched.-Life and career:...
planned a television series in 1979 called Adam and YvesAdam and YvesAdam and Yves was a proposed American television series that was going to be based on the 1978 film La Cage aux Folles. Producer Danny Arnold was a fan of La Cage and in 1979 pitched a series featuring a male couple with a masculine/feminine dynamic similar to the one in the film. ABC...
based on the film La Cage aux FollesLa Cage aux Folles (film)La Cage aux Folles is a 1978 French-Italian film adaptation of the 1973 play La Cage aux Folle by Jean Poiret. It is co-written and directed by Édouard Molinaro and stars Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault.-Plot:...
which drew its title in part from this phrase. - MegapussMegapussMegapuss is a band with the following members: Devendra Banhart, Gregory Rogove , Fabrizio Moretti , and Noah Georgeson...
; Devendra BanhartDevendra BanhartDevendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
's band; has a song entitled "Adam & Steve". - The Tiger LilliesTiger LilliesThe Tiger Lillies are a three-piece band, formed in 1989 and based in London. They have toured worldwide and won acclaim with their opera Shockheaded Peter....
band has a song entitled "Adam and Steve" on their album "Seven Deadly Sins". - In the Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
episode Werewolf vs. Unicorn, a skit has God directing Adam to name all the creatures of the earth, but the process is interrupted by his stereotypically effeminate gay friend Steve showing up and christening some of the creatures which have names that can be double entendreDouble entendreA double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
s, like the peacock and the swallowSwallowThe swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
.
See also
- Anti-LGBT slogans
- Christianity and homosexuality
- History of Christianity and homosexualityHistory of Christianity and homosexualityThis article focuses on the history of homosexuality and Christianity from the beginnings of the Church through the mid 1900's. For current teachings of Christian Churches on homosexuality see Homosexuality and Christianity....
Further reading
- Katha Pollitt, Adam and Steve — Together at Last, The NationThe NationThe Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, 15 December 2003.