‘Voor de grote massa’ Harry Thomas, De Homofielenpartij en het dito huwelijk

Well before The Netherlands opened up marriage to same-sex couples, in 2000-2001, "gay marriage" had been talked about. In 1970, a 24-year old bookkeeper named Harry Thomas (1945-1991) announced that announced that on Sunday 28 June 1970, he and his lover – Alex Verhoeven – would have their relationship solemnized in a Catholic church. The ceremony would be assisted by numerous Catholic and Protestant clergymen, plus a fair amount of foreign media. Only after months, this was found out to be a hoax -- just like the political party Thomas claimed to represent, the Dutch Homophiles' Party. It is argued that despite camp and canard characteristics, these ‘stunts’ deserve serious scholarly attention because they are indicative of fundamental shifts in the social representation of homosexuality.