![]() ![]() Of course, at any time in history, homosexual men have the same needs, concerns and activities as the wider population – finding somewhere to live, some way of supporting themselves, feeding themselves, and holding together relationships, be they family, friends or lovers. Although first time offenders of minor acts and those involving consenting adults, would often be fined or held over on good behaviour bonds, being caught in a homosexual act had wider consequences than just court and punishment names and addresses were published in the press (particularly the tabloid press), and social ostracism and disgrace would follow. ![]() Acts of sodomy, attempted sodomy or 'indecent assault upon a male person' attracted penalties of up to ten years imprisonment with hard labour and, thanks to new legislation introduced in 1919, any form of actual or attempted 'gross indecency' committed whether in public or in private was also potentially punishable with prison terms. Although the 1920s are usually portrayed as a period of liberation and rebellion following the horrors of the Great War, and as homosexual reform movements and subcultures developed in large cities around the world, including London, Paris and Berlin, homosexual lives and acts in Melbourne between the Wars were played out against a more restrictive legal and social background. ![]()
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May 2023
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