This article proposes a new approach to the history of the French “€œhomophile” movement Arcadie (1954 – 1982). After an analysis of the reasons for the historiographical neglect of Arcadie, the article presents a brief history of the movement, based on archives which have not been used before and interviews with leaders of the organization. Then the article outlines the moral vision and political strategy of Arcadie, whose objective was to integrate homosexuality into society by demonstrating its normality - the key words were “€œprudence” and “€œdignity” - and it analyses how this discourse was received by the rank and file members. If it was true that the prudent policy of Arcadie was sometimes contested from below, the article, rejecting an anachronistic approach to the period, argues the necessity to reject the demonization of Arcadie, which was carried out in the 1970s by a new generation of gay activists who accused the movement for having interiorized the oppression and guilt imposed by a heterosexual society. On the contrary, quite apart from the moral and practical support which Arcadie offered to thousands of male homosexuals (and some lesbians) Arcadie had its own vision of homosexual authenticity, although different from that of post 68 radicals: one must avoid an anachronistic approach to the period. Finally, the article shows that there was unresolved tension between Arcadie’s desire to create a homosexual community and its objective to integrate homosexuals into society at large€” between the idea that homosexuals were individuals like any other person and the idea that there was a specifically homosexual identity.