Homintern

Homintern was a term used from the 1930s onwards for a supposed conspiracy theory, which claimed that a large number of gay men in elite positions controlled the arts, scholarship and/or the theatre world, similar to the concept of a "gay mafia".

Etymology

The word is a play on the word "Comintern," the short name of the Communist International and was used because it was believed that such homosexuals, being enemies of "traditional" values, were card-carrying Communist Party members as well.

The earliest dated reference to the term seems to be from 1937, when the classical scholar Maurice Bowra referred to himself as a member of the Homintern. However, there are competing claims about who coined the term.

Usage

The term "Homintern" was used by anti-Communist American Senator Joe McCarthy during the McCarthyist lavender scare, who used it to claim that the administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, which was set on destroying America from within.

"Homintern" also appeared in a number of mass-circulation magazine articles during the 1960s. These magazine articles were often illustrated with the color lavender and the Homintern was sometimes called "the lavender conspiracy." It was claimed that there was a secret worldwide network of gay art gallery owners, ballet directors, movie producers, record label executives, and photographers who, behind the scenes, determined who would become successful artists, dancers, actors, and models.