Male homosexuality in West Germany : between persecution and freedom, 1945-69 / by Clayton J. Whisnant.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Whisnant, Clayton John, 1971-

Series:

Genders and sexualities in history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Male homosexuality--Germany--20th century.

Male homosexuality.

Germany.

Gay people--Violence against--Germany--20th century.

Gay people.

Gay people--Violence against.

Physical Description:

xii, 262 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

Summary:

In recent years, much has been written about the fate of homosexual under Hitler: how they were arrested, incarcerated in prisons and concentration camps, and subject to torture, experiments, and even castration. However, little is yet available in English about what happened to them after the Nazi era. Often, the years between 1945 and 1969 are seen simply as a brief interlude before the appearance of the gay liberation movement in the 1970s. This book argues that this period is more important than that. During this time, gay scenes resurfaced, despite the political tensions of the Cold War and the continued enforcement of Nazi-era laws against homosexuality. A more masculine understanding of homosexuality became prominent, leaving its impact on both public stereotypes and personal identities. Finally a considerable debate about homosexuality emerged among professionals and eventually a wider public, constituting a critical debate within the Sexual Revolution. Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction : the neglected postwar period

Policing and prejudice after 1945

The homophile movement

Struggles over the gay scenes' boundaries

Reforming paragraph

Conclusion : between persecution and freedom.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780230355002

0230355005

OCLC:

774489563