Husband Material (London Calling, #2)

by Alexis Hall

“Marriage is a significant step for anybody.” The problem with Oliver being a good person was that where I would have made a noncommittal noise and waited for Alex to leave, he’d taken an interest so now Alex was sitting in a chair with the air of somebody settling in for the evening. Or, in this case, early hours of the morning. “Yes, well. Seemed the thing to do. After all, she’s a smashing girl from a smashing family. Can’t have Mummy and Daddy wondering if you’re a homosexual your whole life.” He paused. “No offence.” On the one hand, some offence. On the other hand, it was the night before his wedding and we’d dragged him out of bed to spring us from jail. So if there was ever a time to let it slide, this was it. “You realise”—Oliver was looking terribly sincere—“that even if you were, that would be okay.” Alex laughed. “Oh, of course it would. After all, it is the twentieth century. One of my father’s best friends is a homosexual, and they’re all jolly supportive of him, especially his wife.” “Um,” I said. “Isn’t that a bit weird for her?” “Can’t see why it would be. Plenty of chaps have other interests. Daddy’s simply batty about steam locomotives.” I really regretted not face-planting. “Okay, but assuming you mean exclusively homosexual, rather than something under the bi umbrella, I think that’s quite different from doing a spot of trainspotting?” “Clearly you’ve never been married to a railway enthusiast.” “No,” I protested, “but I’d like to be married to someone...

Eugenics is a discredited, immoral pseudoscience based on the belief that the human population can be "improved" by selectively breeding people with so-called "desirable" traits and discouraging or preventing reproduction among those deemed "undesirable" or "unfit". Historically, these classifications were rooted in social prejudices, racism, ableism, and classism, rather than objective science. Core Concepts and History Origin: The term "eugenics" (from the Greek for "good birth") was coined in 1883 by British naturalist Sir Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin. He applied theories of inheritance and natural selection to human society, believing that planned breeding could direct human evolution. Methods: Eugenics programs employed a range of practices, often classified as "positive" (promoting reproduction among the "fit") and "negative" (inhibiting reproduction of the "unfit"). These included: Forced Sterilization: Compulsory sterilization laws were enacted in over 30 U.S. states and many other countries, targeting institutionalized individuals, the mentally ill, the poor, and minorities. Marriage Restrictions: Laws prohibited marriages between different races (anti-miscegenation laws) and between individuals deemed to have "undesirable" conditions. Immigration Restrictions: Eugenicists in the U.S. lobbied for strict immigration quotas based on a belief in the genetic superiority of "Nordic" or "Anglo-Saxon" people. Genocide: In Nazi Germany, eugenic theories of "racial hygiene" culminated in the Holocaust and the systematic murder of Jews, people with disabilities, and other targeted groups. Pseudoscience: Proponents falsely assumed complex human traits like intelligence, criminality, or poverty were simple, fixed, and determined solely by genetics. Modern genetics has debunked these claims, showing that such traits are complex and influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Decline and Legacy The eugenics movement lost scientific credibility and public support after World War II, largely due to its close association with Nazi atrocities. The practice of imposing measures to prevent births within a group is now defined as a form of genocide under international law. Despite the historical discrediting, the legacy of eugenic thinking persists in ongoing issues of scientific racism, genetic discrimination, and disparities in healthcare. Modern genetic technologies, such as prenatal screening and gene editing, have also raised contemporary ethical debates about "liberal eugenics" or "consumer eugenics," where individual parental choice replaces state coercion.