A queer uprising 60 years before Stonewall: the 1905 Les Douaires riot – The Conversation

Report on the 1905 Les Douaires Uprising and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: Historical Context of an Early Queer Rebellion

Recent research has identified a significant episode of collective resistance to anti-queer repression that predates the 1969 Stonewall riot by over 60 years. An uprising on July 31, 1905, at the Les Douaires youth penal colony in Normandy, France, represents one of the earliest documented instances of mass resistance to homophobic policies. This event provides a critical historical lens through which to examine the long-standing struggle for equality and justice, directly relating to the principles of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

2.0 Conditions at Les Douaires Penal Colony and Relation to SDGs

The Les Douaires institution incarcerated working-class boys, aged eight to 21, under conditions that starkly contravened fundamental human rights and principles now enshrined in the SDGs.

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The inmates faced brutal conditions, including staff brutality and rampant disease. The mortality rate for boys at Les Douaires was significantly higher than that of the general youth population, indicating a severe failure to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Detained youths were subjected to forced agricultural and industrial labor under harsh conditions, a clear violation of the principles of decent work.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The institution, intended for justice and rehabilitation, was characterized by violence and repression. The incarceration of youths for minor offenses like vagrancy points to a justice system that failed to be inclusive or equitable.

The penal administration’s actions were further influenced by rising societal anxieties in the late 19th century, which medicalized and pathologized queer sexualities, contributing to systemic discrimination and inequality (contrary to SDG 10).

3.0 The July 1905 Riot: A Response to Repressive Policy

The direct catalyst for the 1905 uprising was a new administrative measure designed to suppress same-sex relationships among the detained boys.

1. The Repressive Measure: Citing the prevalence of sexual interactions, the administration instituted a compulsory afternoon nap to limit the time boys could spend together in the courtyards. This policy was an explicit act of discrimination targeting the personal relationships of inmates.
2. The Uprising: On July 31, 1905, approximately 200 boys refused the mandatory nap and rioted. They smashed windows, attacked staff, and attempted a mass escape, demonstrating collective resistance to the repressive and discriminatory policy.
3. The Aftermath: The riot was suppressed with the help of police and military forces. Twenty-six boys identified as leaders were transferred to another penal colony, highlighting the state’s use of force to quell resistance against unjust institutional practices.

4.0 Analysis: The Uprising as a Struggle for Equality and Justice

The Les Douaires riot is a significant historical event that underscores the long struggle against institutional violence and discrimination, aligning with the core objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The riot was a direct reaction against a policy designed to enforce inequality based on sexuality. It stands as an early example of a marginalized group resisting discriminatory treatment.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): While focused on same-sex relationships between boys, the event speaks to the broader principles of SDG 5 concerning the right to bodily autonomy and freedom from discrimination based on sexuality and gender expression.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The event exemplifies the failure of a state institution to be just, peaceful, or inclusive. The resistance highlights the need for accountable institutions that protect, rather than persecute, vulnerable populations.

5.0 Conclusion: Contemporary Relevance and the Unfinished Pursuit of SDGs

The 1905 Les Douaires riot is not merely a historical footnote; it is an early chapter in an ongoing history of resistance to state-sanctioned violence against LGBTQ+ individuals. The issues faced by the boys at Les Douaires resonate with the challenges confronting incarcerated LGBTQ+ people today, who continue to face disproportionately high risks of sexual assault, violence, and suicide. This reality underscores a persistent failure to achieve key SDG targets.

This historical event serves as a powerful reminder that the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals—particularly ensuring good health (SDG 3), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), and building just institutions (SDG 16)—requires a steadfast commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all individuals, including those marginalized by their sexuality and confined within state institutions.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article highlights severe health issues within the penal colony, such as “harsh living conditions” leading to “recurrent outbreaks of diseases” and a mortality rate for inmates that was “several times more likely to die than free young people outside.” It also connects this historical context to modern issues, noting the “high rates of suicides” among LGBTQ+ people in prison today, which directly relates to mental health and well-being.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  While the article focuses on a boys’ detention site, the core issue is discrimination based on sexuality. The events are described as “overt collective resistance to anti-queer repression.” This connects to the broader goals of SDG 5, which include ending all forms of discrimination and ensuring equal rights, principles that are foundational to LGBTQ+ rights.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article describes the inmates as “working-class youths… forced to perform agricultural and industrial labour under very harsh conditions.” This constitutes a form of child and forced labor, which is a direct concern of SDG 8, particularly its targets aimed at eradicating such practices.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  This is a central theme of the article. The narrative revolves around the repression of a marginalized group due to their sexuality. The penal administration’s actions, such as instituting a “compulsory afternoon nap” to “reduce the frequency of same-sex relationships,” are clear examples of discriminatory policies designed to control and suppress a specific group, thereby creating and reinforcing inequality.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article is set within a penal institution and details a systemic failure of justice. It describes “staff brutality” as “omnipresent,” including a director “reprimanded for routinely whipping the inmates.” The riot itself was a reaction to repressive institutional policies. The article further links this to the present day, where LGBTQ+ people in prison face a “higher risk of sexual assault and violence,” highlighting ongoing issues with violence and injustice within state institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being

  The article’s mention of the “high rates of suicides” among LGBTQ+ people in prison today directly relates to this target’s goal of promoting mental health and well-being.

• Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination

  The “anti-queer repression” and “homophobic policies” described in the article are forms of discrimination that this target aims to eliminate. The entire narrative of the riot is a response to such discriminatory practices.

• Target 8.7: Eradicate forced labour and child labour

  The description of “youths aged between eight and 21 years old… forced to perform agricultural and industrial labour under very harsh conditions” clearly aligns with the goal of this target to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and forced labor.

• Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices

  The policy of a “compulsory afternoon nap” instituted by the penal administration was an explicit “attempt to cut down time spent in the courtyards and therefore reduce the frequency of same-sex relationships.” This is a direct example of a discriminatory practice that this target seeks to eliminate.

• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence

  The article details multiple forms of violence within the penal colony, including “staff brutality,” a warder who “had hit a child,” and a director “routinely whipping the inmates.” It also notes the ongoing “higher risk of sexual assault and violence” for LGBTQ+ prisoners, which this target aims to reduce.

• Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, and all forms of violence against and torture of children

  The inmates were “youths aged between eight and 21 years old” and were subjected to physical violence (“whipping the inmates,” “staff brutality”). This directly corresponds to the aim of this target to protect children from abuse, violence, and torture.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Existence of discriminatory policies

  The article explicitly mentions “homophobic policies” and the specific rule of a “compulsory afternoon nap” designed to suppress same-sex relationships. The presence or absence of such policies is a clear indicator of progress towards Target 10.3.

• Mortality Rate

  The article states that boys at Les Douaires were “several times more likely to die than free young people outside.” This elevated mortality rate is a direct indicator of the poor health, well-being, and safety conditions (relevant to SDG 3 and SDG 16).

• Prevalence of violence and abuse in institutions

  The text provides qualitative indicators of violence, such as “staff brutality was omnipresent” and the director “routinely whipping the inmates.” For today, it mentions the “higher risk of sexual assault and violence” for LGBTQ+ prisoners. Tracking the number of reported incidents of such violence would be a quantitative indicator for Target 16.1 and 16.2.

• Suicide Rates

  The mention of “high rates of suicides” among contemporary LGBTQ+ prisoners is a direct and measurable indicator related to mental health and well-being (Target 3.4).

• Prevalence of child and forced labor

  The description of youths being “forced to perform agricultural and industrial labour” serves as an indicator for the existence of forced and child labor, which is addressed by Target 8.7.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theconversation.com