Whichever side of the fence you happen to sit on, I am very grateful and reassured that we are able to have an exchange of views on SF which is by and large respectful of each other - and that is no mean achievement considering the sensitivity of this subject. Thanks to you all.
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Itâs a first 
Iâve been on my best behaviour may not last though 
Maybe, at the time, but I think more of a deterrent as the culprit was know âas has been buggeredâ, & it stood as a dishonor for life. As for torts many haven"t been amended from the past & can still stand today in England. Though not sure on the homosexual ones, if there were any.
It must have been somewhat homo something as many were removal of menâs gentitals by the offended party.
OH was the best man at the marriage of a couple of friends a few years back. They sought and got permission not to publicise the bans as they were so afraid of the backlash should it become known that a gay marriage was happening. Other gay friends have had their car set on fire, and been told to get out of their village. Yes, homosexuality can be a HUGE issue in rural and small town france.
(And by the way Stonewall was in America, not England)
I think the confusion over the name is that although the Stonewall riots took place in New York there is a prominent UK campaign group with the same name that is often mentioned on tv and in the press.
Homosexuality or same-sex marriage will never be accepted by certain groups of society just like abortion, however if the vast majority of the population donât see it as a big deal then homophobic attacks will become a thing of the past, unfortunately that may not happen -
I think it would be impossible for everyone to agree on any subject whatever. Live and let live is surely the way forward.
In my experience 10% will always argue that black is white ( or whatever).
But, everyone is entitled to their opinion - it is when their behaviour is a reflection of their opinion - that problems/unpleasantness can arise.
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When were the Spartans or Greeks Christians?
Sorry, I was in Australia at the time and the Aussies didnât have quite the fixation with America - so pardon my ignorance.
As further evidence of my ignorance just HOW did the villagers you are talking about KNOW they were homosexuals? Just asking. Homosexuals I have known here in Paris, (also Brussels), Burgundy, Lot and now Correze have had no such problems, but also didnât feel any need to publicise their sexuality,and have lived normal lives. Other friends are in Holland but I suppose that country is noted for its tolerance.
Racism is despicable, but there is little people can do to hide or disguise their racial origins, so just HOW do people in the villages know they were homosexuals. Maybe , Probably I am not too bright, but I needed to be told by my friends that they were homosexuals, although as they live together I suppose was some clue.
You say âtheyâ were so afraid of 'the '(a?) backlash - on what basis did they fear that?
Have had their cars set on fire for being Gay? Told to get out of the village because they were Gay? I would prefer to see some empirical evidence of this being the case, as in where and when; Under any laws such actions are criminal whether gay or not.
However I also many people of same sex who have shared houses and appartments, and have not been homosexual., so to theorise as to why is a bit pointless I suppose However if one thinks like a victim, the chances are you will also think you are always being treated as one. As I say none of the ones I know have ever thought of themselves as victims, so maybe that is the difference?
Norman, you may have misunderstood Veroâs comment.
âtake the Spartans as just one example, and Greek and Roman hstory is replete with homosexual behaviour as completely normal.â to which Vero offered another âsideâ to History.
I feel that there has never been total acceptability towards anything in Life⊠and probably never will be.
Currently, there are actions which are considered âperfectly normal/acceptableâ in some countries, but which other countries find abhorrent (nothing to do with LGBT)
Thereâs quite a gap between the classical era and Victorian times. By the 19thC the Greeks, including the Spartans, were Christians. The tolerant social attitudes of the classical era were gone by about the 6thC.
Victorian times implies reference to the UK where male homosexuality was criminalised, the UK can be classed as a Christian country especially as there is no separation of Church and State.
In France male homosexuality was proscribed from the middle ages to the revolution when aspects were decriminalised but not all, then became a serious crime again under PĂ©tain, and that law was finally revoked by Chirac.
" Ce nâest quâen 1981, que la France retire lâhomosexualitĂ© de la liste des maladies mentales, et dĂ©truit le âregistre des pĂ©dĂ©rastesâ, tenu par la prĂ©fecture de police, dans lequel Ă©tait rĂ©fĂ©rencĂ© les homosexuels.
Il a fallu attendre neuf ans, en 1990, pour que lâOMS, lâOrganisation Mondiale de la SantĂ©, retire Ă©galement lâhomosexualitĂ© de la liste des maladies mentales.
Le 4 aoĂ»t 1982, la loi française supprime toute pĂ©nalisation de lâhomosexualitĂ© impliquant des personnes de plus de 15 ans (Ăąge de la majoritĂ© sexuelle)."
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Youâre victim blaming is breathtaking in its blatency. So if a gay couple hold hands in the street, look at each other lovingly over a cafĂ© then theyâre advertising their sexuality! Imo you might as well write in capitals âI feel extremely uncomfortable around gay men.â
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Sorry, I may just have changed that. I did think before I put my last post .
Actually, I think Norman raises a fair point -
Many same-sex folk live together as friends, to share expenses (or for whatever reason) and no-one should assume they are in a ârelationshipâ (not that it is anyone elseâs business to even be wondering about it.)
However, a same-sex couple displaying that they are more than just friends - that is a step too far for many folk. âWe donât mind what you do behind closed doors, butâŠâ is an attitude which many adopt , yet they would deny to the limit that they are in any way âantiâ.
(Norman this is NOT a dig at you, but at the many folk for whom the cap-fits. 
)
Most of us hold views on what we consider acceptable. Personally, I have no problem with light/gentle affection being displayed in public. Raunchy stuff is best done in private IMO. Obviously my words are aimed at all persuasions.
Display good manners and you will gain brownie points in my book - whoever you are. 
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Well I stick to my point. Holding hands in public is hardly raunchy . But in most cases it will be a public display of a manâs sexuality. Why should they hide their affection?
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Absolutely agree with you Teresa - I may have not made that clear enough.
let me be clear: âobviously my words are aimed at all persuasionsâ
Iâm agreeing with you⊠I love holding hands with OH, hugging, kissing etc etc (but raunchy is for later, at home 
) why should anyone NOT be allowed to do similarly, for fear of ridicule or much worse. 
Oh my, brings back memories⊠dance floor in a dimly lit village hall in Frinton. The MaĂźtre D, Bunny Prentice, moving between the gyrating young couples⊠âlater, much laterâ he would murmur into the ear of anyone he thought was going âa little too farâ.
that phrase: âlate, much laterâ - became our catchphrase - and could be used in so many situations, all of which ended in laughter.
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Do you live in a rural french village or small town? It is hard to keep secrets, and why should they anyway? The friends who had their car burnt live in a village of 55 people. They are a quiet shy couple, but in applying for planning permission it became known they were marriedâŠand once the maire knew then the whole village knew. And as for going to the police, in small villages you weigh up pros and cons of taking that sort of action if you want to carry on living there. Itâs not right, but itâs life.
And for the other couple, the backlash was well signalled by those against gay marriage, who had made public their desire to physically disrupt any marriage ceremonies (and theirs was the first here) . Would you want to have your marriage take place behind a security barrier?
If one is not subject to discrimination oneself, itâs easy to think that it doesnât exist. Sadly anti-homosexual sentiment is still alive and kicking in rural france.
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Along with sexism racism xenophobia cruelty to animals and lack of ecological concern.
Not just in rural France, by the way.
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