Gerhardus "Gert" Hekma (24 September 1951 – 19 April 2022)^[1][4] was a Dutch anthropologist and sociologist, known for his research and publications, and public statements about (homo)sexuality.^[5] He taught gay and lesbian studies at the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences of the University of Amsterdam from 1984 to 2017.^[6]

Hekma finished Gymnasium-β, and in 1978 obtained his master's degree in Cultural anthropology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.^[2] From 1979 to 1981, he worked at Utrecht University.^[2] He was one of the organizers of the June 1983 social-scientific congress "Among Women, Among Men" (Dutch: "Onder Vrouwen, Onder Mannen").^[7] In 1987, Hekma received his PhD in Historical anthropology from Utrecht University.^[3]

From 1984 (succeeding Mattias Duyves^[8]) until 2017, Hekma was an assistant professor and teacher at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in the sociology and history of (homo)sexuality.^[9][10] Hekma's research is part of an academic counterculture,^[11] and some of his statements, in particular about pedophilia and about sadomasochism, have caused conflicts between him and some of his colleagues and the university board,^[12][13] and resulted in threats directed at Hekma.^[14]

Hekma has served as editor or editorial board member of many periodicals.^[15] He has also co-organized several conferences,^[6][16] and has studied the life and works of Jacob Israël de Haan,^[16] Louis Couperus,^[9] and Gerard Reve.^[9] He has taught students at Queens College and at the City College of San Francisco.^[15]

In 2017, three activities took place related to Hekma's retirement: a two-day symposium, "Perils and Pleasures: Confronting Erotic Diversions", in Amsterdam University Library; an exhibition, "Rooie Flikkers en Homostudies UvA", at IHLIA in the Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam; a Mosse Lecture by Hekma.^[17] The latter was organized by the George Mosse Fund, that he co-founded in 2001.^[6]

Hekma is the son of a notary^[12][13] and grew up in Bedum, the Netherlands.^[13] He was a frequent visitor of the DOK gay disco^[18] and was a member of the radical "Red Faggots" (Dutch: "Rooie Flikkers").^[8] Hekma was a book collector,^[5][14][19] and had a fetish for satin.^[19][20] He was a fan of Marquis de Sade:^[12][19] not only is De Sade one of his favorite authors and a source of inspiration,^[14] Hekma was also fascinated by De Sade's position on violence,^[21] and has used De Sade to provide his students with another perspective on sexuality and violence.^[21] Hekma advocated against masculinity, paternalism and traditional gender roles.^[22]

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Hekma (left) and Mattias Duyves in Portugal (1984), from Groene.nl.

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In 2007, he received death threats after supporting the idea of including a boat for adolescents at the Amsterdam Gay Pride.^[23] In 2014, Hekma co-created a petition addressed to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, pleading with the Dutch Supreme Court to not ban pro-pedophilia association Vereniging MARTIJN.^[24] His support of MARTIJN resulted in death threats and an attempted burglary.^[5] Hekma has stated he was not a pedophile.^[25] He and his significant other, sociologist Mattias Duyves (1953), were together for more than forty years.^[14] They met in 1977 and married in 2007.^[14] Both champion sexual and relational freedom.^[14]

Hekma was interviewed for John Scagliotti's documentary film Before Homosexuals (2017).^[26]

Hekma has published widely on the LGBT history in the Netherlands and Europe,^[27] both as a sole author and as a contributing editor.^[10][28] His publications include scientific works and popular documents.^[8] A selection follows.

• Homoseksualiteit, een medische reputatie [Homosexuality, a Medical Reputation] (1987)^[6][10]
• Goed verkeerd [Rightly Wrong] (1989)^[10][27]
• The Pursuit of Sodomy (1989)^[10][27]
• De roze rand van donker Amsterdam [The Pink Outskirts of Gloomy Amsterdam] (1992)^{[6][10][29][30]}
• Homoseksualiteit in Nederland van 1730 tot de moderne tijd [Homosexuality in The Netherlands from 1730 to Modern Times] (2004)^{[6][15][30][31]}
• ABC van perversies [The ABCs of Perversions] (2009)^[6][15][30]
• A Cultural History of Sexuality in the Modern Age (2011)^[27][31]
• Sexual Revolutions (2014)^[27][31]

• LGBT writers in the Dutch-language area
• LGBT history in the Netherlands