Confronting Historical Injustices: The Politics of Gay Reparations

ABSTRACT: What does it mean to call something a historical injustice? How can countries confront historical injustices and by what methods? And why are some national efforts to reckon with the legacies of historical injustices more successful than others? This essay explores these questions from the vantage point of the movement for “gay reparations,” a new and provocative front in the struggle for LGBTQ equality and human rights that seeks redress for the centuries-old history of anti-gay discrimination and violence. It contends that gay reparations hinge upon a favorable political environment for confronting historical injustices. But just as important is a compelling framing strategy, one that frames reparations as a moral issue rather than as a legal matter.