How World War I Changed Homosexuality in Europe
By: Alexander Yung
Tags: War, LGBTQ, Culture, LGBT Rights, History

The Return of Gay Soldiers: The Modern Gay Rights Movement

Weimar Republic. Jazz Scene. 1920s. Source: Wikimedia Commons

After the war, Weimar Berlin began to have a secret underground life for homosexuals. In upper-class areas — homosexuals, drag queens, and prostitutes sought shelter in clubs for clients or gratification. As this underground life grew and grew, foreigners began flocking to Berlin’s relaxed culture for sex and vice.

And with the return of gay soldiers, the modern gay rights movement was sparked. Gay soldiers became convinced they were owned full citizenship. Three separate homosexual rights organizations were formed in the 1920s: Gemeinschaft der Eigenen (Community of Individuals), the Wissenschaftlich-humanitdren Komitee (Scientific-Humanitarian Committee), and the Bundfur Menschenrecht (Human Rights League).

The Komitee believed all homosexuality had a biological-basis, and governments had no right to punish people on an innate predisposition. The Gemeinshaft took the opposite approach: all humans were bisexual, and the concept of homosexuality is used to stigmatize same-sex relationships. The Bund took the middle ground between these two organizations’ beliefs.

With these three organizations’ efforts, mainstream newspapers begin reporting on the homosexual rights movements and goals — causing politicians to debate about this issue in the Reichstag.

Reichstag building in the 1920s or early 1930s. Source: Wikimedia Commons

But the three movements’ differing beliefs prevented them from working together, diminishing the little political clout they had.

Regardless, the organizations reached out to society’s elites to change the laws against homosexuals. But without the majority of German public support, the movements’ efforts were futile. To many, homosexuals were still seen as abnormal and dangerous, and the movements made little effort to changes the public’s opinion on homosexuals.

In 1929, the Reichstag could not eliminate §175/296 from the German penal code against homosexuality. As a result, the movements began falling apart — as the Nazi regime launched their persecution against homosexuals.

Ironically, many Gemeinshaft members started leaving the movement to join the Nazi party.

When the Nazis were fully in power, they used their sodomy laws to murder thousands of homosexuals. It was only in the 1990s when the sodomy laws were repealed in Germany. And in the U.K., persecution of homosexuals would continue throughout WWII — until 2000 when British armed forces began to openly accept homosexuals.

But despite these setbacks, the modern gay rights movement has come a long way, and each generation sees greater acceptance of homosexuals. With the United States’ Supreme Court banning discrimination against LGBTQ workers, we can finally see a long-discriminated group receive their long due rights.

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