During Mussolini’s fascist Italy, gay men faced discrimination and oppression due to their perceived contrast with traditional masculine ideals. Despite the lack of any legislation prohibiting consensual same-sex relationships, Mussolini was passionately opposed to homosexuality, viewing it as an imported sin that contradicted the image of a strong fascist society.Fascism at the time propagated a myth of stereotypical Italian virility, portraying Italian men as strong, masculine figures. Under Mussolini, homosexuality was considered incompatible with this virility, and as a result, the dictatorship worked to eradicate it from the country.