there is some truth to this. he doesn’t elaborate on how the West was behind at the time (and I see no reason to believe Kollontai was bi or that China is currently advancing), but until Stalin took power, the Soviet Union was ahead in gay rights
After the October Revolution of 1917, homosexuality was decriminalised in Soviet Russia with the repeal of the legal code of the Russian Empire, and this decriminalisation was confirmed with new criminal codes in 1922 and 1926. Under Joseph Stalin, the Soviet government reversed course in the late 1920s and promoted harsher policy against LGBTQ rights.
Cuba is also indeed in a positive position right now. in 2019 they mass-raided dissidents to pass a new constitution that limited executive powers and is one of the only 7 constitutions in the world today to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
Even then my point still stands as the decriminalisation happened in 68 and 69 for East and then West Germany. The alleged trend that the West was far behind is therefore simply false at least legally speaking to which he was referring to
After attempts at legal reform in 1952 and 1958, homosexuality was officially decriminalised in the GDR in 1968, although Paragraph 175 ceased to be enforced from 1957.
Meanwhile:
The Frankfurt Homosexual Trials of 1950/51 constituted a significant chapter in the persecution of homosexual men within the Federal Republic of Germany, representing a continuity from the Nazi era while also occurring under the new administration of the Adenauer era. Primarily instigated by the Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office, these trials were propelled forward with the aid of sex worker Otto Blankenstein, who served as a pivotal witness.[39]
Amidst prevailing socially conservative sentiments, the German Christian Democratic Union, wielding considerable political influence in post-war West Germany, generally disregarded or actively opposed gay rights issues. Conversely, their frequent coalition partners, the Free Democratic Party, often espoused stronger advocacy for civil liberties. However, as a smaller political entity, the Free Democratic Party was often reticent to antagonize the more socially conservative factions within the larger Christian Democratic Union.[38]
“More progressive than the West was at that time” varies wildly - countries which had adopted the Napoleonic Code had largely retained the decriminalization of homosexuality - including France, Italy, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and much of Latin America.
I wouldn’t consider Latin America part of “the West” but fair. I didn’t know the Napoleonic Code has such a wide reach not just in spirit but also in text!
I’m not doubting you since you are PugJesus after all, but could you elaborate on the developments since the following passage until 1917, if time permits?
The 1810 Penal Code did not reinstate the offense of homosexuality but retained charges of public indecency and incitement to debauchery, adding outrage to public decency.[12] Napoleon I’s policy toward male homosexuality was generally repressive.
I’m not doubting you since you are PugJesus after all, but could you elaborate on the developments since the following passage until 1917, if time permits?
Oh, you absolutely should doubt me! I was just an undergrad History Major; I’m basically only a step above a layman. XD
As with many policies pursued by Napoleon, consistency is sorely lacking. He had several close companions who were openly homosexual and whose sexuality Napoleon freely referenced without implication of major censure; conversely, he gave police forces a free hand and, as mentioned, public morality laws were very broad - and ‘public morality’ laws almost always are broad for the reason that their real purpose is to provide law enforcement with an excuse to harass people whenever they like.
I’m most familiar with the LGBT community during the Third Republic (which would have been contemporary with the October Revolution), wherein severe social censure and harassment was combined with fairly open discussion of LGBT issues and a permissive legal environment - at least by the letter of the law. God knows the enforcers of the law are rarely so impartial as the letter, but that’s as true today as it was then.
Many German states also used the Napoleonic Code until Prussia united them, at which point they used Prussia’s code as a basis, which, notably, did retain criminalization of homosexuality.
there is some truth to this. he doesn’t elaborate on how the West was behind at the time (and I see no reason to believe Kollontai was bi or that China is currently advancing), but until Stalin took power, the Soviet Union was ahead in gay rights
Cuba is also indeed in a positive position right now. in 2019 they mass-raided dissidents to pass a new constitution that limited executive powers and is one of the only 7 constitutions in the world today to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
The part about the German law is incorrect though - or actually just false.
It’s consistent with what https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rights_in_East_Germany sources (note that decriminalization does not require equal age of consent)
Even then my point still stands as the decriminalisation happened in 68 and 69 for East and then West Germany. The alleged trend that the West was far behind is therefore simply false at least legally speaking to which he was referring to
Meanwhile:
“More progressive than the West was at that time” varies wildly - countries which had adopted the Napoleonic Code had largely retained the decriminalization of homosexuality - including France, Italy, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and much of Latin America.
I wouldn’t consider Latin America part of “the West” but fair. I didn’t know the Napoleonic Code has such a wide reach not just in spirit but also in text!
I’m not doubting you since you are PugJesus after all, but could you elaborate on the developments since the following passage until 1917, if time permits?
Oh, you absolutely should doubt me! I was just an undergrad History Major; I’m basically only a step above a layman. XD
As with many policies pursued by Napoleon, consistency is sorely lacking. He had several close companions who were openly homosexual and whose sexuality Napoleon freely referenced without implication of major censure; conversely, he gave police forces a free hand and, as mentioned, public morality laws were very broad - and ‘public morality’ laws almost always are broad for the reason that their real purpose is to provide law enforcement with an excuse to harass people whenever they like.
I’m most familiar with the LGBT community during the Third Republic (which would have been contemporary with the October Revolution), wherein severe social censure and harassment was combined with fairly open discussion of LGBT issues and a permissive legal environment - at least by the letter of the law. God knows the enforcers of the law are rarely so impartial as the letter, but that’s as true today as it was then.
Many German states also used the Napoleonic Code until Prussia united them, at which point they used Prussia’s code as a basis, which, notably, did retain criminalization of homosexuality.
Weirdly though it did also contain a legal basis for changing one’s legal gender.