Het einde van artikel 248bis Kantelpunt in de relatie tussen de homobeweging en de overheid

This article deals with the discriminatory age-of-consent provision for homosexual intercourse in the Dutch Penal Code. Between 1911 and 1971 this age limit was 21 years, while it was – and still is – 16 years for heterosexual intercourse. The withdrawal of this legal provision is one of the landmarks of the sexual revolution that took place in the Netherlands during the 1960s and the 1970s. In this contribution, I will analyse how this political decision came about. How did abolishing this legal provision become a political issue and how did various societal and political actors frame this issue? Which social or political arenas did they pick for this fight and how did the issue reach the formal political agenda? How was a majority for abolishing the article built? I will also analyse how the withdrawal of this discriminatory legal provision cleared the way for the next phases in the relationship between the homosexual movement and the state.