The history of the LGBT movement and gay rights France

Contents:

• THE HISTORY OF THE LGBT MOVEMENT AND GAY RIGHTS FRANCE
• GAY RIGHTS AND LGBTQI MOVEMENTS EUROPE
• GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT
• FRANCE’S GAYS ARE ASSIATG. WHAT COM NEXT?

THE HISTORY OF THE LGBT MOVEMENT AND GAY RIGHTS FRANCE

Dpe adoptg a relatively progrsive stance by crimalizg homosexualy as early as 1791 durg the French Revolutn, societal acceptance remaed elive. One of the first major activist groups, the “Homosexual Revolutnary Actn Front” (FHAR), emerged 1971, advotg for the normalizatn of homosexualy and societal acceptance.

This perd also wnsed the first Pri march (lled ‘Marche s Fiertés’ France) Paris 1981, followg the crimalizatn of homosexualy. However, the 1980s also brought the HIV/AIDS crisis, which disproportnately affected the LGBT muny, particularly gay men. France, spe s progrs, still grappl wh homophobia and transphobia.

Acrdg to SOS Homophobie, a French LGBT support and advocy group, reports of homophobic and transphobic acts rema high. Durg the neteenth century, the first gay liberatn thkers laid the groundwork for a ant movement that mand the end of the crimalizatn, pathologisatn and social rejectn of non-heterosexual sexualy.

GAY RIGHTS AND LGBTQI MOVEMENTS EUROPE

A first gay liberatn movement emerged Berl 1897, revolvg around the doctor Magn Hirschfeld (1868-1935), -founr of the Wissenschaftlich-humanäre Komee (WhK, Scientific-Humanarian Commtee). The mtee took multiple actns: a petn favour of appealg § 175, the publitn of books and brochur on homosexualy, the publitn of a review (Jahrbuch für sexuelle Zwischenstufen, Yearbook for Intermediate Sexual Typ), and the circulatn of an tnal film on the damage ed by homophobia (Anrs als die anren, Different om Others, 1919).

In the ensug perd, mtee branch were created a number of German ci and neighbourg untri whose laws nmned homosexualy (Atria, the Netherlands, Swen, etc. Other gay ant anizatns were created after a spl wh the WhK, such as the Communy of the Special (Gemeschaft r Eigenen), found by the German Adolf Brand (1874-1945) who advoted naturism among other thgs. Although their relatns were not illegal, some of them exprsed their wish to be members of ant anizatns that would give them visibily wh the first homosexual movement.

In the face of monplace homophobia, mand of stat “a ratnal attu [... ] wh rpect to homosexual men and women, ” along wh acknowledgment that sexual relatns between nsentg adults belonged to the private sphere.

GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

Vlent Nazi reprsn ed the dissolutn of the League 1933 and the exile of s members, which was the unrlyg e of the end of the first gay rights movement and the portatn of homosexuals wartime Europe. In fact, s newsletter diffed om Swzerland was the only regular homosexual publitn until the aftermath of the nflict.

Dpe the reigng nservatism of the post-war perd, “clubs” discreetly formed to promote homosexual sociabily through readgs, nferenc, excursns, and even masked balls. In 1951, the Internatnal Commtee for Sexual Equaly (ICSE) was formed Amsterdam, mandg rights for homosexuals.

In France, André Bdry (born 1922) created 1954 the homophilic associatn Ardie, a mythologil reference to the land where love reigned.

FRANCE’S GAYS ARE ASSIATG. WHAT COM NEXT?

Its eponymo review enjoyed creasg succs spe the Mirguet amendment (1960), acrdg to which homosexualy was a “social surge” the same manner as alholism. In the Uned Kgdom, the Homosexual Law Reform Society began 1960 to work towards the crimalizatn of homosexualy (achieved England and Wal 1967). May 1968 brought renewed energy, and enabled the creatn of revolutnary homosexual groups spired by the Gay Liberatn Front (GLF) the US.

That same year HAW (Homosexuelle Aktn Wtberl) was created the FRG, and FHAR (Front homosexuel d'actn révolutnnaire) Paris. ), offerg hherto unseen visibily to homosexual movements. The 1980s were marked by the adoptn of the rabow flag, the LGBT acronym, the profsnalizatn of gay and lbian ancy, and the prence of openly homosexual ndidat durg electns.

For stance, France, Mrice Cherdo ran unsuccsfully the 1981 legislative electn as the ndidate for the Collectif homosexuel l’Out parisien [Gay Collective of Wtern Paris], while Germany Albert Eckert (born 1960) beme the ngrsman for the Alternative slate 1989. In the face of this mobilizatn, om 1989 onwards the European Parliament enuraged s member stat to crimalize homosexual relatns and regnize same-sex unns. In 1993, the World Health Organizatn removed homosexualy om s list of mental illns.