Legitimization League
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The Legitimation League (1893–1899) was a British organization founded by individualist anarchists that campaigned for the legitimacy of children born outside marriage and, later, for free love and sexual liberation. While rooted in individualist anarchism, it intersected with socialism through shared advocacy for radical social reform, with proponents like Edward Carpenter and various socialists promoting sexual liberation.
Key Connections and Details:
- Ideological Background: The League was founded in Leeds by followers of Benjamin Tucker, such as John Badcock and Greevz Fisher, shifting its focus from legal legitimacy to "sexual slavery" under the influence of Lillian Harman, a prominent anarchist.
- Intersection with Socialism/Anarchism: Although not a socialist organization, the League operated in the same intellectual circles as socialists, feminists, and anarchists. Socialist figures like poet Edward Carpenter and sexologist Havelock Ellis advocated for its cause.
- The Adult Journal: The League published The Adult (1897–1899), featuring content on freeing relationships from state control.
- Individualist Anarchist Influence: Prominent member Henry Seymour was an individualist anarchist who connected the League's ideas to a wider anti-statist movement.
- Free Love and "Patriarchy": The League aimed to abolish "sex-enslavement" and supported individuals like Edith Lanchester, a socialist who faced opposition for her unconventional choices, highlighting a connection between sexual freedom and socialist feminism.
The Legitimation League's efforts represent an early intersection of sexual politics, anarchism, and left-wing thought in Britain.
Legitimation League - Wikipedia Founding and early years. The association was founded in Leeds, in 1893, by a group of individualist anarchists, who were close to... Wikipedia Edith Lanchester: A socialist pioneer against patriarchy | Workers ... Sep 5, 2012 — Almost immediately a meeting was called by Lanchester's comrades under the auspices of the Legitimation League, a body set up to c... www.workersliberty.org Roots and Strands of Anarchism in Late Victorian Britain May 10, 2023 — One of the more prominent representatives of individualist anarchism was Henry Seymour (1860-1938), who published in 1885-1888 the... The Victorian Web