The Crime That Wasn’t Called Sodomy
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In the early American Philippines, colonial officials developed an indirect approach to criminalizing same-sex relations. Instead of explicit sodomy bans, authorities weaponized vagrancy laws—statutes originally meant to target homeless and unemployed people—to police intimate conduct. According to JSTOR Daily, this legal maneuvering allowed officials to enforce moral standards while maintaining a facade of neutrality. It's a historical reminder of how legal systems can be repurposed to marginalize vulnerable communities.
Source: https://daily.jstor.org/the-crime-that-wasnt-called-sodomy/
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