From “The Scratching Post”: Sexual musings, Part 3

By Ken Marks

[Opening from the original on The Scratching Post, January 24, 2023, published here by permission of the author.]

In Part 2, I showed how skepticism and a commitment to reason undermined ancient authority and drove centuries of positive change. Notably, this upheaval included the recognition of women’s rights in all industrialized societies. It also included a recognition of the injustices done to people whose race, ethnicity, or sexual habits differed from the tribe they lived among. Of all these mistreated groups, women have fared best. Not only are they unquestioned members of the prevailing tribe, they are desired members as well. People who differ racially or ethnically are accepted into the prevailing tribe only after generations of assimilation. Their struggle for social justice has generally been upward but with painful reversals. People who are seen as sexually perverted have fared worst. A large number of the prevailing tribe see them as a threat. Many believe they prey on children and turn them into social deviants. Many judge them as unfit to be a parent, teacher, social worker, policeman, doctor, politician, or anyone obligated to model normative behavior.¹
    In the 1920s, while American women were celebrating their newly won right to vote, American gays were regularly harassed by the law. In New York state, for example, the legislature criminalized any behavior that looked like sexual solicitation between men. They called it “degenerate disorderly conduct,” or simply, “degeneracy.” The courts might impose a fine or 30 days in jail, but this was trivial compared to the possible loss of a job, a career, or a family’s love.
    In 1927, the New York state legislature struck again, prohibiting theater performances with queer characters, and in the 1930s, Hollywood studios agreed to a censorship code that forbade lesbian or gay characters, or even the “inference of sexual perversion.” In 1933, New York’s State Liquor Authority prohibited bars from employing gay people or even serving gay groups. During the Second World War, the federal government banned homosexuals from serving in the military, and after the war, it widened the ban to civilian federal agencies….
[Read the whole thing on The Scratching Post.]

Copyright © 2023 by Ken Marks Ken Marks was a contributing editor with Paul Clark & Tom Lowe when “Moristotle” became “Moristotle & Co.” A brilliant photographer, witty conversationalist, and elegant writer, Ken contributed photographs, essays, and commentaries from mid-2008 through 2012. Late in 2013, Ken birthed the blog The Scratching Post. He also posts albums of his photos on Flickr.