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  • Book
  • Open Access
  • © 2019

The Pathologisation of Homosexuality in Fascist Italy

The Case of 'G'

Authors:

  1. Gabriella Romano

    1. Independent Scholar, Roma, Italy

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  • Demonstrates how psychiatry was used as a tool of repression and persecution of homosexuality in fascist Italy

  • Explores the connections between families, the police and the medical professionals in implementing this form of repression

  • Utilises archival material that have never been used in historical research before

Part of the book series: Genders and Sexualities in History (GSX)

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Hardcover Book USD 59.99
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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
    PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Gabriella Romano
    Pages 1-12Open Access

  4. “Psychic Degenerate”: Why G. Was Interned

    • Gabriella Romano
    Pages 27-34Open Access

  5. “He and I”: G’.s Voice

    • Gabriella Romano
    Pages 35-47Open Access

  7. “House of Sorrow”: The Collegno Asylum in 1928–1931

    • Gabriella Romano
    Pages 67-95Open Access

  8. “My Untamed, Alone, Naked Will”: Freedom

    • Gabriella Romano
    Pages 97-101Open Access

  9. Conclusions

    • Gabriella Romano
    Pages 103-106Open Access

  10. Back Matter

    Pages 107-110
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About this book

This open access book investigates the pathologisation of homosexuality during the fascist regime in Italy through an analysis of the case of G., a man with "homosexual tendencies" interned in the Collegno mental health hospital in 1928. No systematic study exists on the possibility that Fascism used internment in an asylum as a tool of repression for LGBT people, as an alternative to confinement on an island, prison or home arrests. This research offers evidence that in some cases it did.

The book highlights how the dictatorship operated in a low-key, shadowy and undetectable manner, bending pre-existing legislation. Its brutality was - and still is - difficult to prove. It also emphasises the ways in which existing stereotypes on homosexuality were reinforced by the regime propaganda in support of its so-called moralising campaign and how families, the police and the medical professionals joined forces in implementing this form of repression.



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Keywords

  • sexual deviance
  • psychiatry
  • mental health
  • LGBTQ history
  • fascism
  • Open Access
  • gender and sexuality
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Authors and Affiliations

  • Independent Scholar, Roma, Italy

    Gabriella Romano

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About the author

Gabriella Romano is an independent scholar from Italy. She received Wellcome funding for her MRes at Birkbeck, University of London, UK, and was awarded full Wellcome funding for her PhD. Previous publications include I Sapori della Seduzione (2006) and Il mio nome è Lucy (2009).

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Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Pathologisation of Homosexuality in Fascist Italy

  • Book Subtitle: The Case of 'G'

  • Authors: Gabriella Romano

  • Series Title: Genders and Sexualities in History

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00994-6

  • Publisher: Palgrave Pivot Cham

  • eBook Packages: History, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019

  • License: CC BY

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-00993-9Published: 13 December 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-00994-6Published: 29 November 2018

  • Series ISSN: 2730-9479

  • Series E-ISSN: 2730-9487

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 110

  • Number of Illustrations: 2 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: History of Italy, Cultural History, Sociocultural Anthropology, History of Science, Social History

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Hardcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions