What did they call gay people in the 1800s

As a brief aside, know that my references to homosexuality are not exclusive to men, but it's important to realize that male sexuality was far better documented than that of female sexuality. This difference between an act and an identity is important because it was in the 18th century that the shift occurred where sexuality became part of ones identity rather than an act performed.

A perfect place to begin this brief exploration so that we can get on the same page with terminology is etymology. An incredible resource for primary sources for the whole 18th and 19th is Rictor Norton’s site. It is in using these words that we differentiate what was legal from what was not legal, and what was accepted and what was not accepted.

The term "homosexual" does not appear until The term "gay" as it relates to sexuality does not appear until the s. You might still be up in arms about my opening question regarding legality. While "sodomite" was the primary term used outside of slang, such as "molly"its distinguishing characteristic is that it references a specific act rather than an identity, and thus marks the distinction in legality and culture.

Before 'gay' became common and accepted parlance, the world invented its own unofficial terms for men who dug men. The term homosexual can be used as an adjective to describe the sexual attractions and behaviors of people attracted to the same sex. Lesbianism was in no form illegal, so when we discuss the semantics of the sodomy law, realize there was nothing illegal about lesbianism.

Homosexuality in the s was heavily stigmatized in most parts of the world, but it was also a time when the understanding of sexual orientation began to evolve. He is the go-to on this subject and has devoted his career to studying the historical, cultural, and literary presence of gay culture and homosexuality in and around the Georgian era.

A look inside the development of both gay culture and homosexual identity in the 18th century. Now that I've shocked you to your toes, let's get to know what exactly was illegal. The first point I'll make is that if you really want to dig deeper into this subject, far beyond what my little scratching of the surface has provided which isn't much, eh?

Publication Date: March 31, Good golly, Miss Molly! Would it shock you to learn that homosexuality was not illegal in the 18th century? One great place to learn what was legal, what was not legal, what prosecutions occurred, what verdicts were dealt, etc.

Samuel Pepys, for instance, in the 17th century, remarks on how commonplace it was to meet a gentleman who preferred the sterner sex. The late 17th century saw a rise in not just journal entries on the subject, but other mediums, such as entire plays devoted to homosexuality, newspaper articles on the raids of male brothels, sculptures and drawings showing same-sex affection, letters between lovers or letters referencing gentlemen pubs, and more.

This article delves into the key aspects of homosexuality during the s, exploring societal attitudes, legal challenges, and significant historical developments. [2] Some gay people argue that the use of homosexual as a noun is offensive, arguing that they are people first and their homosexuality is.

This research section only scratches the surface, but it's an important section to include given the preferences of Patrick March, Viscount Kissinger, in The Heir and The Enchantress. Author and gay pioneer Quentin Crisp said that the term should be "homosexualist", adding that no one says "I am a sexual".

Good golly, Miss Molly! Teleny was only published in but in there was another gay porn book called Sins of the cities of the plain published- both should be available online (be warned that some of the scenes can be quite unpleasant for modern sensibilities).

Some names were self-created and others were thrust, often cruelly, upon gay, bi.

The history of the

Tomlinson challenges the harshest of punishments for sodomy in his journal. This source describes it well:. There are references, certainly, to both genders being part of the shift from act to identity, and thus culture, but the references are not as prevalent and certainly not part of the legal documentation.

Bear with me here for the legality is partially to do with semantics and all to do with the shift from act to identity. The literary documents of the time, such as novels, journals, letters, court cases, magistrate documentation, newspapers, plays, sculptures, and art, offer us the best perspectives of what was happening and what society's views were on the topic.

In homage of this shift, I'll be using our more modern words in this research post since they encompass culture and identity. The evidence of a developing culture begins in the 17th century, but not in the abundance we see in the 18th.

How about if you learned there was a vibrant gay culture during this time?