ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that 'political style' has influenced both the way linguistic divisions have been bridged within the movement and, more decisively, the kind of relationship, which has been established with the state. Therefore, if the lesbian and gay movement has been able to alter state regulations, it has also been strongly influenced by the state and, more broadly, by a specific political culture which has moulded state institutions. The birth of the movement and its homophile past will be examined first, as it was the sole unitary moment of the Belgian lesbian and gay movement. The chapter traces the historical development of the movement along a linguistic cleavage, thereby focusing on the main divide within the movement and on the way activists have tried to overcome it in political campaigning. The first homosexual group was named Centre culturel belge-Cultuurcentrum België Belgian Cultural Centre (CCB), and included both men and women, Flemish and Francophone.
