Sex, Politics and Morality in France, 1954–1982
Julian Jackson is Professor of Modern French history at Queen Mary, University of London. He has written widely on the history of twentieth-century France. His books include: The Popular Front in France: Defending Democracy 1934–1938 (1988), France: the Dark Years 1940–1944 (2001), The Fall of France (2003).
Correspondence: j.t.jackson{at}qmul.ac.uk
This article examines the French homosexual reform movement ‘Arcadie’ (1954-1982). Arcadie was one of the most important of a number of so-called ‘homophile’ movements which developed in several Western countries in the 1950s. After the emergence of radical gay politics in the early 1970s, these movements were violently criticized for their alleged ‘reformism’ and conservatism. This article argues that, while such accusations were not entirely unfounded, Arcadie's positions were more complicated than might have seemed the case. The article ends by re-examining the 1960s in the light of recent debates about gay marriage in France and elsewhere.