Sophie Kühnlenz:
"Aufstand der Perversen". Zur Rezeption von Rosa von Praunheims Nicht der Homosexuelle ist pervers, sondern die Situation, in der er lebt in Medienberichten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Sophie Kühnlenz:
"Uprising of the Perverted".
The Response in West German Media to Rosa von Praunheim’s Nicht der Homosexuelle ist pervers, sondern die Situation, in der er lebt
English abstract
According to Rosa von Praunheim’s argument, gays are complicit in their own oppression. While the film’s title is directed at mainstream society, its content is directed at gays themselves: the filmmakers wanted to illustrate the situation of gays in a repressive social environment. Anger, disgust, verbal attacks and physical assaults were among the products of this environment – as were political movements, activism, solidarity and the development of a confident gay consciousness. This study examines reactions to the film in the "mainstream" media and controversies within the gay scene.These include comments from both the gay press and interviews with 1970s gay rights activists. Some of the question explored in the study are: Why did this film provoke such strong reactions? What effect did it have on the gay rights movement during the 1970s? And to what extent was it actually a necessary "agent provocateur" in triggering an overdue discussion – including within the gay community – of homosexuality’s social significance?