'Tolerance comes in waves': how a conservative view on gender and sexuality is nothing new

Periods of increased tolerance for minorities are frequently followed by conservative setbacks, a cyclical pattern historian Jonas Roelens identifies as a recurring theme throughout history. This phenomenon, he explains, is often triggered by societal crises that can provoke panic reactions, leading to the targeting of minority groups. Roelens, a historian at Ghent University specializing in gender history, argues against a linear view of progress, stating that society does not simply move towards constant improvement and openness.

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It comes in pendulum swings: after a period of openness and tolerance, there is often a relapse.

"It comes in pendulum swings: after a period of openness and tolerance, there is often a relapse," Roelens said in an interview on Radio 1. He believes this is what is currently being observed. Recent research from Foto van Vlaanderen highlights a shift in attitudes, with one in three young people not feeling comfortable with transgender individuals and one in five Flemish people disapproving of annual Pride parades. These figures suggest a resurgence of more traditional views on gender and sexuality, particularly among young men.

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We see it as an upward line of constant improvement, of more openness and civilization. We are supposedly at an endpoint and know better than the generations before us.

Roelens draws parallels with historical periods, noting that the Middle Ages, often perceived as barbaric, actually offered women in the Low Countries more agency than in subsequent eras. Medieval women were literate and could conduct their own businesses, rights not universally regained until after World War II. He also points to 15th-century Bruges, a prosperous trading hub, which tolerated a thriving prostitution culture. This was seen not as a moral failing, but as a financial asset, catering to merchants from various countries who were away from home for extended periods. The reasoning was that if these men were entertained, commerce would flourish.

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If you compare the Middle Ages with the period after, the Renaissance, you see that medieval women actually had more say.

This historical perspective suggests that societal well-being and tolerance are often intertwined. Roelens's analysis challenges the notion of a straightforward march of progress, instead presenting a more complex, cyclical view of social change where periods of advancement are met with periods of regression. The current rise in conservative views on gender and sexuality, he posits, is not an anomaly but part of this ongoing historical ebb and flow.

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They see it as a financial asset. The city is full of traders from Spain, Italy and all sorts of countries who are often away from home for months. The reasoning is: if those men have a good time in the evening, then the money will also flow well during the day on the stock exchange.