"Unnatural Fornication" Cases Under State-Socialism: A Hungarian–Slovenian Comparative Social-Historical Approach. Issue 14 (6th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Takács, Judit; Kuhar, Roman; Tóth, Tamás P.
• Is Part Of: Journal of homosexuality. Volume 64:Issue 14(2017)
• Page Start: 1943
• Page End: 1960
• Publication Date: 2017-12-06
• Subjects: Archive research -- court cases -- homosexuality -- Hungary -- Slovenia -- state-socialism -- unnatural fornication; Homosexuality -- Periodicals; 306.766
• DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2016.1273719
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0091-8369

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This comparative social-historical study examines different versions of state-socialist body politics manifested in Hungary and Slovenia mainly during the 1950s by using archive material of "unnatural fornication" court cases. By analyzing the available Hungarian " természet elleni fajtalanság " and Slovenian " nenaravno občevanje " court cases, we can shed light on how the defendants were treated by the police and the judiciary. On the basis of these archive data that have never been examined before from these angles, we can construct an at least partial picture of the practices and consequences of state surveillance of same-sex-attracted men during state-socialism. The article explores the functioning of state-socialist social control mechanisms directed at nonnormative sexualities that had long-lasting consequences on the social representation of homosexuality in both countries.