British occupation in Egypt during the nineteenth century affected the transformation of Egyptian cultural norms, as Europeans imposed the policing of gender and sexuality throughout their colonized nations and nations they occupied. Egyptians publicly displayed homosociality and homosexuality, causing Europeans to perceive them as backwards. Europeans implemented new strategies to hold an authoritative stance over sexuality and gender. One of the new tactics, for example, was the utilization of private inspectors. The rise of capitalism and the Egyptian state during the 19th century resulted in both men and women gaining increased access to public space, which meant more opportunities to express individuality. Increased wage-labor created more public spaces, where men could express homosocial or homosexual relationships since they are more frequently outside of the household. Public legitimacy and recognition of homosexual relations reached its peak during the 19th century, however, with the rise and spread of cultural influence from the west, homosexuality quickly declined on all political and social levels.