Bad Gays

1. Homosexuality's Shifting Sands: Not a Fixed Identity

It can be very easy to assume that the way we think about identities has always been the same.

Contingent and evolving. The concept of "homosexuality" as a fixed identity is a relatively recent invention, emerging in the late 19th century. Before this, same-sex acts were understood through different lenses, such as sin, crime, or status.

• The term "sodomy" once referred to any non-procreative sex act, not just anal sex.
• Ancient Greek pederasty was structured around age and status, not gender.
• Roman culture emphasized the active/passive roles in sex, not the gender of partners.

Historical context matters. Our understanding of sexuality is shaped by the social, political, and economic conditions of our time. What it means to be "gay" today is different from what it meant in the past, and will likely continue to evolve.

• The rise of industrialization and urbanization in Europe led to new anxieties about sexuality.
• Colonialism and race science played a role in creating taxonomies of human behavior.
• The invention of "homosexuality" was a way to categorize and control sexual desire.

Challenging assumptions. It's crucial to avoid projecting our current understanding of sexuality onto the past. The way people experienced and understood same-sex desire in different historical periods was often vastly different from our own.

2. Bad Gays as Mirrors: Reflecting Societal Failures

Bad Gays is a book about such characters, a book about the gay people in history who do not flatter us, and whom we cannot make into heroes: the liars, the powerful, the criminal, and the successful.

Uncomfortable truths. By examining the lives of "bad gays" – those who were powerful, criminal, or morally compromised – we can gain a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of queer history.

• These figures challenge the idea of a linear progression towards queer liberation.
• They reveal the ways in which homosexuality has been intertwined with power, oppression, and violence.
• They force us to confront the uncomfortable aspects of our own history.

Beyond the hero narrative. Focusing solely on "good" gays can create a sanitized and incomplete picture of the past. By acknowledging the "bad" gays, we can gain a more honest and critical perspective on the project of homosexuality.

• We must ask why we choose to remember some figures and forget others.
• We must examine how our own biases and desires shape our understanding of history.
• We must be willing to confront the uncomfortable truths about our past.

Lessons from the past. The stories of "bad gays" offer valuable lessons about the dangers of power, the complexities of identity, and the importance of critical self-reflection. They remind us that liberation is not a guaranteed outcome, but an ongoing struggle.

3. Power, Status, and Desire: Shaping Queer History

For the Greeks, the concept did not meaningfully exist at all; the social identities we today understand in the West as a gay man or a bisexual woman, for example, simply weren’t something that people recognised.

Status over gender. In many historical contexts, social status and power were more important than gender in shaping sexual relationships.

• In ancient Greece, pederasty was seen as a pedagogical relationship between older and younger men.
• In Rome, the active/passive roles in sex were more important than the gender of the partners.
• In early modern Europe, accusations of sodomy were often used to target political enemies.

Power dynamics. The power dynamics within same-sex relationships have often been overlooked in traditional accounts of queer history.

• Relationships between men of different ages or social classes were often marked by exploitation and abuse.
• The emphasis on virility and conquest in Roman culture shaped attitudes towards same-sex desire.
• The use of accusations of sodomy as a tool for political repression demonstrates the link between sexuality and power.

Challenging modern norms. By examining these historical examples, we can challenge our own assumptions about the nature of sexuality and the importance of gender. We can also see how power and status have shaped the ways in which same-sex desire has been understood and experienced.

4. The Perils of Purity: From Sodomy to Homosexuality

In Europe, throughout the Middle Ages sex between two men was known as sodomy. Unlike today, when sodomy means anal sex, for most of the mediaeval period it simply referred to sexual acts which would not or could not result in procreation.

Sodomy as a sin. In the Middle Ages, "sodomy" was defined as any non-procreative sexual act, regardless of gender. It was seen as a sin against God's plan for humanity to "be fruitful and multiply."

• The focus was on the act itself, not the identity of the person performing it.
• The prohibition of sodomy was rooted in religious beliefs about the purpose of sex.
• Accusations of sodomy were often used to target political enemies and religious dissenters.

Sodomy as a crime. With the rise of civil law, sodomy became a crime as well as a sin. This led to a new wave of stigmatization and persecution.

• The Buggery Act of 1533 in England made sodomy a capital offense.
• The criminalization of sodomy was often used to target marginalized groups, such as monks and priests.
• The rise of urbanization and moral panics about the working class led to increased policing of same-sex acts.

The invention of homosexuality. In the late 19th century, the concept of "homosexuality" emerged as a medical and scientific category. This marked a shift from seeing same-sex acts as a sin or crime to seeing them as a part of a person's identity.

• Sexologists like Karl Heinrich Ulrichs and Karl-Maria Kertbeny developed theories about the "third sex."
• The idea of homosexuality as an innate and immutable characteristic became increasingly popular.
• This new understanding of homosexuality led to the emergence of LGBTQ+ rights movements.

5. Colonialism's Queer Echoes: Race, Sex, and Power

When colonizers first reached the shores of Africa and the Americas, and began to murder the people they found there and steal their land and resources, they encountered societies that tended to have varying social functions for people engaging in behaviour Europeans considered to be ‘same-sex’ or gender-transgressive.

Colonial encounters. European colonizers encountered diverse sexual and gender practices in the societies they colonized. These practices were often rooted in local cultures and traditions, and did not fit neatly into European categories.

• Some societies had specific social roles for people engaging in same-sex behavior.
• Others had fluid understandings of gender that challenged European norms.
• Colonizers often used these differences as justification for their violence and subjugation.

The colonial gaze. Stories of "exotic" sexual practices in the colonies became encoded into European discourse. These stories were often used to reinforce racist and homophobic stereotypes.

• The bodies of colonized people were often sexualized and objectified.
• Same-sex acts in the colonies were often seen as evidence of moral depravity.
• These stories became sources of inspiration for some European homosexual figures.

Haunted inspiration. Some European homosexual figures found inspiration in the stories of same-sex activity in the colonies. This led to a complex and often problematic relationship between homosexuality and colonialism.

• Some saw these stories as evidence that same-sex desire was natural and universal.
• Others used them to justify their own desires and to challenge European norms.
• However, these interpretations were often rooted in racist and orientalist assumptions.

6. The Closet of Power: Respectability and its Discontents

For years, gay people have remembered Oscar as one of their own, but neglected Bosie as someone who has anything to tell us about how homosexuality came to be.

The double life. Many "bad gays" have lived double lives, publicly adhering to social norms while privately engaging in same-sex behavior. This has often been a strategy for maintaining power and status.

• Figures like James VI and I and J. Edgar Hoover used their power to suppress and persecute others while engaging in same-sex acts themselves.
• This hypocrisy reveals the ways in which homosexuality has been both a source of shame and a source of power.
• It also highlights the tension between public and private identities.

The closet as a tool. The closet has not only been a space of repression, but also a space of power. By hiding their true selves, some "bad gays" have been able to manipulate and control others.

• They have used their secret lives to blackmail and extort the wealthy and powerful.
• They have used their public personas to project an image of respectability and normalcy.
• They have used their power to persecute other LGBTQ+ people.

Challenging respectability. The stories of "bad gays" challenge the idea that respectability is a necessary condition for queer liberation. They remind us that the pursuit of acceptance can come at the expense of justice and equality.

• We must be wary of those who seek to assimilate into the mainstream at the expense of others.
• We must be willing to challenge the norms and values of the dominant culture.
• We must remember that liberation is not about fitting in, but about creating a more just and equitable world.

7. The Allure of the Abject: Transgression and its Limits

It is this new method of communication of which he was the master, and which ironically was both the cause and solution to so many of his problems: the cause, because while obscene literature previously existed within the ranks of the nobility, publishing allowed Aretino to circulate his writings much more widely, raising the fears of popes and princes; and the solution, because the mass appeal of his work protected him.

Transgression as a form of power. Some "bad gays" have used transgression as a way to challenge social norms and to assert their own power.

• Figures like Pietro Aretino and Jack Saul reveled in their status as sexual outlaws.
• They used their writing and their actions to mock the hypocrisy of the powerful and the pious.
• They found a kind of freedom in their rejection of social conventions.

The limits of transgression. However, transgression can also be a form of self-destruction. Some "bad gays" have become trapped in their own transgressive identities, unable to find a way out.

• They have used their transgressive behavior to justify their own cruelty and violence.
• They have become obsessed with their own desires and have lost sight of the needs of others.
• They have confused liberation with the freedom to live out their own desires and elevated class status.

The need for ethics. The stories of "bad gays" remind us that transgression alone is not enough. We must also have a strong ethical framework to guide our actions.

• We must be willing to challenge power, but also to use our power responsibly.
• We must be willing to embrace our desires, but also to consider the impact of our actions on others.
• We must be willing to break the rules, but also to create new rules that are more just and equitable.

8. The Failure of Integration: A Warning from History

The failure, however, of mainstream, actually existing white male homosexuality to enact liberation and its embrace instead of full integration into the burning house of the couple-form, the family unit, and what we might hopefully call late-stage capitalism is real.

The lure of normalcy. Many LGBTQ+ movements have sought to achieve liberation through integration into mainstream society. This has often meant adopting the norms and values of the dominant culture.

• The focus on marriage equality has often come at the expense of other issues, such as economic justice and racial equality.
• The emphasis on respectability has often led to the exclusion of marginalized groups within the LGBTQ+ community.
• The desire for acceptance has often led to the abandonment of radical politics.

The limits of integration. The stories of "bad gays" reveal the limits of integration as a strategy for liberation. They remind us that fitting in is not the same as being free.

• They show how easily LGBTQ+ people can be co-opted by the forces of power and oppression.
• They demonstrate that the pursuit of normalcy can lead to the abandonment of our own values.
• They highlight the ways in which the desire for acceptance can lead to the perpetuation of injustice.

The need for radical change. The failure of integration as a strategy for liberation calls for a more radical approach. We must be willing to challenge the systems of power that oppress us, and to create new forms of social organization that are based on justice and equality.

• We must be willing to embrace our differences and to celebrate our diversity.
• We must be willing to fight for a world in which all people are free to live their lives to the fullest.
• We must be willing to imagine a future beyond the limitations of the present.

9. Beyond the Binary: The Fluidity of Sex and Gender

Even the idea that people have a specific ‘sexuality’ is remarkably recent – perhaps only 150 years old, emerging out of the rapidly industrializing colonial metropolises of Europe.

Challenging fixed categories. The stories of "bad gays" challenge the idea that sex and gender are fixed and binary categories. They reveal the fluidity and complexity of human experience.

• Figures like James VI and I and Hadrian engaged in same-sex behavior without identifying as "homosexual."
• Figures like Boulton and Park transgressed gender norms in ways that challenge our current understanding of trans identity.
• Figures like Margaret Mead explored the diversity of gender roles across different cultures.

The social construction of sex and gender. The idea that sex and gender are fixed and natural categories is a relatively recent invention. These categories are socially constructed and have changed over time.

• The rigid segmentation of time into work and leisure zones contributed to the idea that who you fucked made you who you were.
• Moral panics about "backwards" people were used to justify colonial expansion and incursions into the private lives of the working classes.
• The invention of "homosexuality" and "heterosexuality" in the late 19th century was a way to categorize and control sexual desire.

Embracing fluidity. By challenging the binary categories of sex and gender, we can create a more inclusive and equitable world. We must be willing to embrace the fluidity of human experience and to celebrate the diversity of human expression.

• We must recognize that gender is not a fixed identity, but a spectrum of possibilities.
• We must be willing to challenge the norms and values of the dominant culture.
• We must create a world in which all people are free to express their true selves.

10. The Queer Future: Solidarity, Alliance, and Transformation

If there is anything of homosexuality to be saved, it is its reconstruction of the concept of the family. Not born into fixed kin, we get to choose ours.

Chosen families. The concept of "chosen families" is a powerful alternative to the traditional nuclear family. It recognizes that kinship is not always based on blood ties, but can also be based on love, friendship, and shared values.

• Queer people have often created their own families in the face of rejection from their biological families.
• These chosen families can provide support, love, and a sense of belonging.
• They can also be a source of political and social resistance.

The power of alliance. The history of queer liberation is a history of alliance and solidarity. By working together with other marginalized groups, we can create a more just and equitable world.

• We must recognize that our struggles are interconnected with the struggles of others.
• We must be willing to build coalitions across lines of race, class, gender, and sexuality.
• We must be willing to fight for a world in which all people are free.

Transformative potential. The queer experience has the potential to transform not only our own lives, but also the world around us. By challenging the norms and values of the dominant culture, we can create a more just and equitable future.

• We must be willing to embrace our differences and to celebrate our diversity.
• We must be willing to imagine new ways of being and relating to one another.
• We must be willing to create a world in which all people are free to live their lives to the fullest.

Last updated: January 15, 2025