Homophile
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Cover of French homophile literary journal Arcadie, 1975 |
The word
homophile is an alternative to the word
homosexual, preferred by some because it emphasizes love ("
-phile" from
Greek φιλία) over sex. The term was in common use in the 1950s and 1960s by homosexual organisations and publications; the groups of this period are now known collectively as the
homophile movement.
The term "homophile" began to disappear with the emergence of the
Gay Liberation movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s, replaced by a new set of terminology such as
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual and
transgender, although some of the homophile groups survived until the 1980s, 90s and even the present day. In
Scandinavia and
Finland, the term
homofil has become a standard designation for homosexual.
After the gains made by the homosexual rights movements of the late 19th and early 20th century, the vibrant homosexual subcultures of the 20s and 30s became silent as war engulfed Europe. Germany, the traditional home of such movements, went from being the best place in Europe to be gay, lesbian or transgendered, to the worst,
under the Nazis. Swiss journal
Der Kreis ("the circle") was the only homosexual publication in Europe to publish during the Nazi era.
Der Kreis was edited by
Anna Vock, and later
Karl Meier; the group gradually shifted from being female-dominated to male-dominated through the 1930s, as the tone of the magazine simultaneously became less militant.
After the war, organisations began to re-form, such as the Dutch
COC in 1946. Other, new organisations arose, including
Forbundet af 1948 ("League of 1948"), founded by
Axel Axgil in Denmark, with
Helmer Fogedgaard publishing an associated magazine called
Vennen (The Friend) from January 1949 until 1953. Fogedgaard used the pseudonym "Homophilos", introducing the concept of "homophile" in May 1950, unaware that the word had been coined a few months previously by
Jaap van Leeuwen, one of the founders of the Dutch COC. The word soon spread among members of the emerging post-war movement who were happy to emphasise the respectable romantic side of their relationships over genital sexuality.
A Swedish branch of Forbundet af 1948 was formed in 1949 and a Norwegian branch in 1950. The Swedish organisation became independent under the name
Riksförbundet för sexuellt likaberättigande (RFSL, in english known as Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights) in 1950, led by
Allan Hellman. The same year in the United States, the
Mattachine Society was formed, and other organisations such as
ONE, Inc. (1952) and the
Daughters of Bilitis (1955) soon followed. By 1954, the monthly sales of ONE's magazine peaked at 16,000. Homophile organisations elsewhere include
Arcadie (1954) in France and the British
Homosexual Law Reform Society (founded 1958).
These groups are generally considered to have been politically cautious in comparison to the LGBT movements that both preceded and followed them. Historian Michael Sibalis describes the belief of the French homophile group Arcadie, "that public hostility to homosexuals resulted largely from their outrageous and promiscuous behaviour; homophiles would win the good opinion of the public and the authorities by showing themselves to be discreet, dignified, virtuous and respectable."
[Sibalis, Michael, 2005. Gay Liberation Comes to France: The Front Homosexuel d'Action Révolutionnaire (FHAR), French History and Civilization. Papers from the George Rudé Seminar. Volume 1 PDF link] However, while few were prepared to
come out, they did risk severe persecution, and some figures within the Homophile movement such as the American communist
Harry Hay were more radical.
By the mid 1960s, gays, lesbians and transpeople in the United States were forming more visible communities, and this was reflected in the political strategies of American homophile groups. From the mid-1960s, they engaged in
picketing and
sit-ins, identifying themselves in public space for the first time. Formed in 1964, the
San Franciscan Society for Individual Rights (SIR) had a new openness and a more participatory democratic structure. They were focused on building community, and sponsored drag shows, dinners, bridge clubs, bowling leagues, softball games, field trips, art classes, and meditation groups. In 1966, they opened the nation's first gay and lesbian community center, and by 1968 they had over 1000 members, making them the largest homophile organization in the country. The world's first gay bookstore had opened in New York the year before. There was a feeling of
Gay Liberation that was soon to give a name to a new movement.
Meanwhile the
Church of England has used the term "homophile" in certain contexts since at least
1991 - e.g., "homophile orientation" and "sexually active homophile relationship".
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Cover of One magazine, April-May 1956 |
Denmark*
Forbundet af 1948 (1948 - ?) and
Pan (1954 - present)
France*
Arcadie (journal, published from 1954 to 1982), and organisation with the same name. Often published with the subtitle "Mouvement homophile de France".
Sweden*
Riksförbundet för sexuellt likaberättigande (RFSL) (1950 - ?)
United Kingdom*
Homosexual Law Reform Society (1958 - 1970 when it was renamed as the Sexual Law Reform Society). The HLRS was formed as a response to the 1957
Wolfenden report. Most of the members were heterosexual.
*
Campaign for Homosexual Equality (1964 - present)
United States*
Vice Versa: America's Gayest Magazine (1947 - 1948), the first lesbian periodical in the United States, was free. Lisa Ben (an anagram of "lesbian"), the 25-year old Los Angeles secretary who created Vice Versa, chose the name "because in those days our kind of life was considered a vice."
* The
Mattachine Society (1950 - 1987) and the
Mattachine review (1955 - 1966)
["Sexuality Studies at UC Davis, Sexuality Studies Resources Held in the UC Davis Shields Library's Special Collections Department" URL accessed April 8, 2006.]; Homosexual Citizen, (published by the Washington chapter, 1966 - ?)
* The
Daughters of Bilitis (1955 - present) and
The Ladder (1956 - 1972); Focus (published by the Boston chapter, 1971 - 1983); Sisters, (National, published in San Francisco, 1971 - 1975).
*
ONE, Inc. (1952 - present) and
One magazine (1953 - 1972)
[; Homophile Studies (1958 - 1964)]
* The Janus Society (1962 - 1969) and drum (sic) magazine (1964 - 1969). A racy gay-male oriented magazine, drum reached a circulation of 10,000 by 1966.
* Society for Individual Rights (1964 - 1976)[ and Vector (1965 - 1977)]
* The Homosexual Law Reform Society (1965â€"1969)
* Phoenix: Midwest Homophile Voice, a Kansas City, Missouri magazine (1966 - 1969)
* Homophile Action League (Philadelphia) and the HAL Newsletter (1969 - 1970)* Terminology of homosexuality
