Here's an extensive timeline and chart regarding worldwide legal changes affecting LGBT rights, all the way through the twentieth century to today.
Here's a set of graphics regarding attitudes and laws about gay people by country.
And here's a homophobic propaganda film from the 50s (only a minute long) warning viewers about the dangers of the homosexual, who is sick and sexually predatory, and especially dangerous because of not being immediately identifiable.
That video is a really good find. It made me reflect on the issue of homosexuality as an "invisible" trait. I had always thought the invisibility of sexuality was a great strength for LGB people and a great weakness. On the one hand, the invisibility creates challenges for social and political organization--thus isolating people and perpetuating discrimination. On the other hand, if anyone can be gay at any moment, then there it is more difficult to discriminate against. It also promotes tolerance when a persons child could come out as gay at any point in life (whereas other identifiers like race are obvious from birth). For example, it's much more difficult to make housing projects "straight only" than it is to make them "white only," given that homosexuality is not visible when you meet someone to sign over a lease.
ReplyDeleteThis video added another component by arguing that invisibility was a threat to the normal order. It winds up advocating more caution in interpersonal relationships--in effect a closing up of friendliness and openness. You can see how the "threat" of homosexuality causes the entire society to change its behavior precisely because of its relative invisibility. It also help put into context the association between communism and homosexuality. Anyone can be a secret communist or a secret homosexual, and that engenders fear. Lots to think about!