The ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in France and Quebec (1970-1980)
This paper analyzes the way in which gay activist movements of the 1970s initiated a politicization of the issue of sexual consent, in advance of a series of reforms in the 1980s. In the early 1970s, these movements faced similar challenges in France and Quebec : the age of consent, having been set...
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| Gepubliceerd in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/cliowgh, |
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| Formaat: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
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Clio
2022
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| Online toegang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:cliowgh_1065 |
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openedition |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:cliowgh_1065 https://doi.org/10.4000/cliowgh.1065 urn:doi:10.4000/cliowgh.1065 https://journals.openedition.org/cliowgh/1065 2022-10-11T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/e3u6 All rights reserved The ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in France and Quebec (1970-1980) Clio Belin info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2554-3822 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/cliowgh Bérard, Jean Sallée, Nicolas sexuality the 1970s social movements age of sexual consent discrimination pedophilia sexualité années 68 mouvements sociaux majorité sexuelle discrimination pédophilie This paper analyzes the way in which gay activist movements of the 1970s initiated a politicization of the issue of sexual consent, in advance of a series of reforms in the 1980s. In the early 1970s, these movements faced similar challenges in France and Quebec : the age of consent, having been set higher for homosexuals, raised the question of under-age sexual freedom. In both cases, the history of gay movements follows a parallel trajectory. Arising in connection with revolutionary political movements, gay movements of the mid-1970s focused on more targeted claims related, in particular, to legal discrimination against homosexuals regarding the age of consent. In the 1980s, the resulting laws redefined, almost simultaneously, both rape and the age of consent. They indicate that a similar process was under way in both France and Canada : while the age of consent was altered, its principle was reaffirmed, as a bulwark against a new figure now regarded as dangerous, the paedophile. Cet article analyse la manière dont les mouvements gais militants des années 1970 ont amorcé une politisation de la question de la majorité sexuelle, préalable à une série de réformes entreprises dans les années 1980. Au début des années 1970, ces mouvements font face à un enjeu comparable, en France et au Québec : l’âge de la majorité sexuelle, plus élevée pour les homosexuels, soulève la question de la liberté sexuelle des mineurs. Dans les deux pays, l’histoire des mouvements gais suit une trajectoire parallèle. Fondés en lien avec des mouvements politiques révolutionnaires, les mouvements gais se restructurent, au milieu des années 1970, autour de revendications plus ciblées, liées notamment à la discrimination légale dont les homosexuels sont victimes concernant l’âge de la majorité sexuelle. Dans les années 1980, les lois qui en résultent redéfinissent presque en même temps la majorité sexuelle et le viol. Elles dessinent un processus similaire en France et au Canada : si la majorité sexuelle est réformée, son principe est réaffirmé, comme un rempart contre la nouvelle figure du danger, le pédophile. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
sexuality the 1970s social movements age of sexual consent discrimination pedophilia sexualité années 68 mouvements sociaux majorité sexuelle discrimination pédophilie |
| spellingShingle |
sexuality the 1970s social movements age of sexual consent discrimination pedophilia sexualité années 68 mouvements sociaux majorité sexuelle discrimination pédophilie Bérard, Jean Sallée, Nicolas The ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in France and Quebec (1970-1980) |
| description |
This paper analyzes the way in which gay activist movements of the 1970s initiated a politicization of the issue of sexual consent, in advance of a series of reforms in the 1980s. In the early 1970s, these movements faced similar challenges in France and Quebec : the age of consent, having been set higher for homosexuals, raised the question of under-age sexual freedom. In both cases, the history of gay movements follows a parallel trajectory. Arising in connection with revolutionary political movements, gay movements of the mid-1970s focused on more targeted claims related, in particular, to legal discrimination against homosexuals regarding the age of consent. In the 1980s, the resulting laws redefined, almost simultaneously, both rape and the age of consent. They indicate that a similar process was under way in both France and Canada : while the age of consent was altered, its principle was reaffirmed, as a bulwark against a new figure now regarded as dangerous, the paedophile. |
| author |
Bérard, Jean Sallée, Nicolas |
| author_facet |
Bérard, Jean Sallée, Nicolas |
| author_sort |
Bérard, Jean |
| title |
The ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in France and Quebec (1970-1980) |
| title_short |
The ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in France and Quebec (1970-1980) |
| title_full |
The ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in France and Quebec (1970-1980) |
| title_fullStr |
The ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in France and Quebec (1970-1980) |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in France and Quebec (1970-1980) |
| title_sort |
ages of consent: gay activism and the sexuality of minors in france and quebec (1970-1980) |
| publisher |
Clio |
| publishDate |
2022 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/cliowgh |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/cliowgh.1065 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/cliowgh/1065 |
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