Queer History 129: The Genital Mutilation of the 1880s

In the fucking darkness of the 1880s, American medicine—that supposed bastion of healing and hope—turned into a goddamn chamber of horrors for LGBTQIA+ people. What began as medical "curiosity" quickly devolved into systematic torture disguised as treatment, launching over a century of medical persecution that would destroy countless lives and shatter the trust between queer people and healthcare forever.

The medical establishment, drunk on its newfound authority and desperate to appear scientific, decided that love between same-sex individuals was a disease to be cured. These weren't healers—they were executioners in white coats, armed with instruments of torture and backed by the full weight of societal approval. The brutality that followed would make the Inquisition blush.

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg promoted genital mutilation. Dr. Walter Freeman pione…