Wed., April 2

Discussed in class Wednesday, April 2 was the history of American Sexuality, part 2 or the sexual revolution.  For me I feel that this is a difficult topic to talk about.  For one thing the homosexual history of American is not something that is discussed in most high school history classes.  It is hard to separate what is historically correct to talk about and what is just down right wrong to talk about.  It is, however, a fact of history that homosexual men and women existed.  For as much as the church and conservative historians have tried to dispel their existence the "painted queens" and "street fairies" existed.  Of course the reading points out that these men and women largely co-habit ed in large cities and that it would have been impossible for the more flamboyant to live their lifestyle choice in small towns and in the country.  It was a sad point in history that nice men and women were discriminated against simply because of their biological makeup or for many their temporary lifestyle choice.  Sometimes this was a time of experiment because some men and women decided to like the same sex but never had any intention of making this their lifestyle.  As pointed out in the document on lesbian African-American women, these ladies would throw together rent parties or when someone got sick they would bring over dinner and many of them at some point in time would have girlfriends but maybe later in life they would get married so that they might have children.  A historical example of this "temporary gayness" would be Philippe I, Duke of Orleans, younger brother to France's Sun King Louis XIV.  As a young man, "Philippe would dress up and attend balls and parties in female attire, for example, dressed as a shepherdess. His inclination toward homosexuality was not discouraged in the hope of reducing any threat he may have posed to his older brother. Reportedly, Cardinal Mazarin even arranged for Philippe's first homosexual contacts with his own nephew,  Philip Julian Mancini.  Even once married, he reportedly carried on open romantic affairs with German nobles, with no regard to either of his two wives,"(P. Salazar in Who's who in Gay and Lesbian History, London, 1990 (Ed Wotherspoon and Aldrich).  Although he was gay his whole life Philippe was still pressured to marry and beget heirs a source of deep contention his whole life.  Just as in America whether rich or poor the choice to be gay, permanent or temporary was a difficult decision, it meant hiding their identity, keeping secrets from their families, and ultimately hiding in limbo.

Philippe, Duke d'Orleans