Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
Tolerance and acceptance of homosexuality by Greeks and extensive tattooing of the body by Maoris.
I don't think there is any link between the Greek / Roman / elsewhere tolerance of homosexuality and that of the modern era.

Tatoos from maoris? Sounds like cultural appropriation...

Quote Originally Posted by Montmorency View Post

Leaving aside that there are champions of liberty in every era, do you really think that anyone with a demerit is the same as everyone else? These things can and must be decided on a case-by-case basis. The odious come before the merely problematic in the weighing of honor and disgrace.

Now, if you really wanted to get into it, you could instantiate the debate on memorialization, e.g. should we memorialize political figures at all vs. should we memorialize significant figures who have a mixed record.
I think Jim Jeffries did something on this issue

What is a "demerit" changes over time. I imagine most in the West would view Turing as a hero, and not care that he was gay (more likely to be outraged that it was a problem) and only slightly care he was left-leaning. At the time these two were far more important than what he achieved in maths and to the winning of the war. 100 years ago those who were gay were criminals, and probably mentally ill. Now it is accepted by most people. Paedophiles are reviled as evil, criminals and probably mentally ill - even looking at pictures where no abuse is taking place is sufficient to be branded a deviant criminal, although I doubt most wish to have the desires they have.

On memorisation, I think that museums (or of course online) are most appropriate to enable their whole selves to be reflected - to humanise them rather than turn into something close to idolatry and to infantilise the complexity of humans.