Sodomy accusations functioned as a stock smear against disfavored groups

Evidence

The accusations against the Order under this head seem to be those usually made when it is wished to discredit any group of men, and especially religious orders. On the other hand, the accusations of obscene initiation ceremonies, whether true or untrue, were the invention of somebody’s prurient schoolboy mentality, but these too have no parallel in the more adult and practical accusations made against Islam. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2184

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the medieval habit of weaponizing sexual accusations as political propaganda — echoes later patterns of using personal sexual misconduct charges to discredit political movements.