WI: King Frederick of Prussia 'Comes Out'?

[SinghSong]

So, what if Frederick the Great of Prussia (whom pretty much everyone already knew was homosexual anyway, since he made no secret of it) publicly came out as being gay in the 1750s, and attempted to legalize homosexuality, legitimizing homosexuality and the institution of gay marriage, by divorcing Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern and marrying Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf instead (as a direct response to Fredersdorf starting to entertain the thought of marriage)- subsequently attempting to protect the fledgling gay rights movement in the same manner as his membership protected the Freemasons. What do you think the repercussions of this could have been- would this have been more likely to prematurely get the LGBTQ movement kick-started, or invoke a massive puritanical backlash against homosexuality? And how differently would Frederick the Great have been perceived- would he have still been known as 'The Great', or would he receive a different historical title ITTL?

 

[ChrisNuttall]

It's hard to say because attitudes were very different back then - some cultures thought there was nothing wrong with 'topping' but being the 'bottom' - i.e. allowing yourself to be sodemised - was shameful. Frederick being the king would have other implications (just as James I of England was reputed to be homosexual) as he would have to have a legitimate heir even if it was the one and only time he touched his wife. Going public would raise questions over just where his son and heir had come from - it would have weakened his position quite badly, even without the Seven Years Wae and the near-destruction of Prussia. The idea of recognizing homosexual marriage was probably not on the cards.

On the other hand, he might have been able to get greater acceptance of same-sex relationships. It would have meant pitting himself against the religious factions, both Protestant and Catholic, but it might have been doable. And it might have led to a world where people would shrug and say 'that's how he is' rather than getting all worked up about it (pro and con).

Chris