These Good Old Times

How often have you heard someone moan that times used to be better? Worse, how often have you said so yourself? Admittedly, the time scale in these moaning varies from 20 to 20,000 years but maybe consider this piece of history before moaning again.

In 1874, the age of consent was 12. And it was common for organized pimps to drug and abduct boys and girls of that age to France to supply the brothels of Paris and other fashionable places. There the boys and girls were offered to rich clients for a considerable fee. The clients usually had syphilis. Virgins, male or female, were considered a cure.

Good King Leopold of the Belgians had an account with one of the Madams (sounds so much more refined than pimp, doesn't it?) for a regular supply of virgins. Yes, that is the same Leopold who was married to Crown Princess Charlotte and would have become Prince Consort in the United Kingdom had she not died in child-bed still a princess.

It was the time when gay relationships of any kind were severely punished by law. This obviously did not include the medical use of children. It also did not touch Sir William Harcourt. He was Home Secretary and narrowly missed becoming Prime Minister at one point. That worthy had a gay relationship with his own son.

Good old times, really?

Further reading:
White Sex Slaves
Summer Days
Princes with a Gay Warrant