Scandal : Infamous Gay Controversies of the Twentieth Century

ISBN-13: 9781560234128 / Angielski / Miękka / 2003 / 216 str.

Marc E. Vargo

Opis

A compelling and thorough examination of same-sex controversies - ranging from accusations of obscenity and libel to espionage, treason, murder and political dissent - this startling book explores cases where the subject of homosexuality came into public view in an explosive, sensational manner, stalling (and sometimes reversing) any progress made by the gay and lesbian community in mainstream society. Facing penalties such as censorship, imprisonment, deportation and even death, these men displayed dignity, courage and wisdom in the face of public attack. Among the angry and marginalised figures found in Scandal are Pier Paolo Pasolini and Radclyffe Hall, both of whom have made extraordinary literary careers out of their experiences and feelings; Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean and Anthony Blunt, who expressed their rage with acts of treason; and Simon Nkoli, Roger Casement and Reinaldo Arenas (author of the highly acclaimed book and now film Before Night Falls), who honourably rebelled against their countries and governments. Together, their stories offer a harrowing but noble vision of the gay struggle for equal rights and freedom throughout modern history.

Spis treści

• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1. A Trial for Treason: Roger Casement and the Black Diaries
• The Congo
• The Amazon and the Putumayo
• The Black Diaries
• The Campaign for Irish Independence
• Treason and Trial
• Aftermath: The Forgery Scandal
• Moral, Social, and Political Dynamics
• Chapter 2. A Question of Conspiracy: The Murder of Pier Paolo Pasolini
• Pier Paolo Pasolini
• Murder in Ostia
• Chapter 3. An Accusation of Obscenity: Radclyffe Hall and The Well of Loneliness
• Portrait of the Artist
• The Well of Loneliness
• The British Trials
• The American Trial
• Social and Political Impact of the Obscenity Trials
• Chapter 4. A Case of Espionage: Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, and the “Ring of Five”
• The Cambridge Years
• Exposure and Escape
• Impact on the Gay and Lesbian Citizenry
• Postscript
• Chapter 5. An Arrest for Homicide: Simon Nkoli and the Delmas Treason Trial
• Racism and Homophobia in South Africa
• The Delmas Treason Trial
• The Collapse of Apartheid
• The Arrival of AIDS
• Chapter 6. A Life of Dissent: Reinaldo Arenas and the Cuban Revolution
• The Batista Era
• Reinaldo Arenas
• The Castro Era
• Prosecution and Persecution
• Trial and Error
• Storm in the States
• Chapter 7. A Charge of Libel: Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Eulenburg Affair
• The Kaiser's Gay Entourage
• The Trials
• Impact of the Scandal on Germany
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index

O autorze

Vargo, Marc E