Homosexuality in the 19th Century
If one is to take a look at the world as a whole, flipping through the pages of our history since the beginning of man, they will come to see far too many accounts of hatred and discrimination. Life for those defining themselves as homosexuals has not been nearly as fair as it should have been. As a bisexual female in the 21st century, I consider myself lucky to be born into times of positive change, acceptance and normalization of sexual fluidity. However, this has not always been the case at all. There have been hate crimes, slanders, and even laws prohibiting marriage between LGBT couples. This law has only been lifted within the last 12 years of our country's history, but this still does not take into account the plethora of other countries where it is still illegal to this day. Specifically, our focus will be given to the attitude and treatment of homosexuals during the 19th century.
Times were tough for those interested in the same sex during the 1800's. David Orr stated that homosexuals in London would often hide or even suppress their attractions for fear of exposure and legal action against them. At the time, sexual relations between the same gender were strictly prohibited by law and looked down upon by society. These were considered "unnatural crimes" against humanity. He claims, "Men who engaged in those practices were cast as a separate and problematic minority alongside prostitutes, adulterers, forthright women, or anyone else who challenged new heterosexual constructions of family" (1). Extremely negative connotations were attached to being homosexual, and comparing them to prostitutes and adulterers is nothing short of appalling, but the world was viewed from a much different angle then as it is today.
Other areas of the world treated homosexual relations to the same degree in which they did in London, but, within certain cultures, the repercussions could either lessen or strengthen in severity. Linda Dowling mentions in her book, Hellenism and homosexuality in Victorian Oxford, that homosexuality was thought of as a "psychiatric perversion" tainting the minds of those suffering from it. She goes on to explain how members of the LGBT were living in a "binary prison" of a heterosexually normalized world (2). Those who were discovered to be gay were thrown into asylums and mental institutions because it was seen as a sickness or choice and not something they were born with; we now know today that this is in fact the farthest thing from the truth. Yet, a plethora of homophobic and/or Christianity based religious citizens in the 21st century still refuse to think that being attracted to the same sex is a quality that some are born with. As religion was much more prominent throughout culture in the 1800's, faith played a tremendous role in forming the negative ideologies towards homosexuality.
Other areas of the world treated homosexual relations to the same degree in which they did in London, but, within certain cultures, the repercussions could either lessen or strengthen in severity. Linda Dowling mentions in her book, Hellenism and homosexuality in Victorian Oxford, that homosexuality was thought of as a "psychiatric perversion" tainting the minds of those suffering from it. She goes on to explain how members of the LGBT were living in a "binary prison" of a heterosexually normalized world (2). Those who were discovered to be gay were thrown into asylums and mental institutions because it was seen as a sickness or choice and not something they were born with; we now know today that this is in fact the farthest thing from the truth. Yet, a plethora of homophobic and/or Christianity based religious citizens in the 21st century still refuse to think that being attracted to the same sex is a quality that some are born with. As religion was much more prominent throughout culture in the 1800's, faith played a tremendous role in forming the negative ideologies towards homosexuality.
Another account by Bruce Dorsey claims that homosexual tendencies were considered scandals, and those opposed to their desires would expose them to the public. According to the church, men were supposed to be strong leaders paired up with a woman to reproduce. The men were providers, and women were to take care of the children and the home while her husband was at work. Homosexual men were targeted by the church and were encouraged to become what they "should be" (3). These predetermined gender rolls were heavily present in Bram Stoker's Dracula throughout the epistolary. The women, Mina and Lucy, were focused on pleasing their male romantic partner and thought nothing more of life outside marriage and raising children. The men were educated and held positions of power through work or the home. During the 19th century, men and women were obligated to abide by these rolls in society for fear they would be discriminated against.
Homosexuality during the 1800's was indeed a dangerous game nobody asked to be a part of. Countless individuals would refuse to come to terms with their own sexuality due to the conditions of their time period. Suppressed feelings and desires would haunt them forever as they went through life as someone completely different than who they were on the inside. They were strangers to themselves in the real world.
Homosexuality during the 1800's was indeed a dangerous game nobody asked to be a part of. Countless individuals would refuse to come to terms with their own sexuality due to the conditions of their time period. Suppressed feelings and desires would haunt them forever as they went through life as someone completely different than who they were on the inside. They were strangers to themselves in the real world.
Works Cited
1) ORR, D.A.V.I.D. "The Foul Conspiracy to Screen Salisbury and Sacrifice Morton’: A
Microhistory of Extortion, Resistance and Same‐Sex Intimacy in Early Nineteenth‐ Century London." History. vol. 103, no. 357, Oct. 2018, pp. 571-587. Humanities Resource, doi: 10.1111/1468- 229X.12625. Accessed 5 March 2020.
2) Dowling, Linda. Hellenism and homosexuality in Victorian Oxford. E-book, Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1994.
3) Dorsey, Bruce. "Making Men What They Should Be': Male Same-Sex Intimacy and Evangelical Religion in Early Nineteenth-Century New England." Journal of the History of Sexuality. vol. 24 no. 3, Sep. 2015, pp. 345-377. Humanities Resource, doi 10.7560/JHS24301. Accessed 5 March 2020.
Marley,I found your post on homosexuality in the 19th century to be very interesting. It is tragic that there was once a time that people were forced to hide who they were because of the societal laws. You used some great sources for your blog, continue to keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting! As a pansexual (non-binary) transfeminine person, something that I've found to be interesting is that homophobia is actually a relatively recent phenomenon. Many, many societies in the past had some mechanism for non-binary or transformative gender expression, as well as non-heterosexual relationships. Ancient Greeks had many relationships where homosexual intimacy was common and accepted. India had the revered Hijra, who were a recognized third gender and presented mostly feminine. European colonization, however, greatly destroyed many of those traditions, which can still be seen in India, where when the British Empire left the subcontinent, the regressive policies they still had in place had created an environment that was hostile both legally and culturally to the once-revered Hijra. So, while elements of what we would call LGBTQ personalities were quite usually appropriated to certain contexts where they were deemed okay (though what part of human sexuality isn't?), widespread, uncompromising homophobia is largely a European phenomenon. And yet, no matter how hard we try or arm ourselves with knowledge of the past, even explaining that to others who hold those outdated views, we're still living in the shadow of our ancestors. In my opinion, your words characterize that shade rather freaking well.
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