It’s LGBTQ+ History Month and this year our DEI team observed that people tend of think of LGBTQ+ history as belonging to only the members of the community — that it only concerns them. But the fact is, Queer history has shaped all of our lives in various ways — whether we’re members of the community, allies or other.
Our team started the Queer British History A-Z project to help all of us appreciate and embrace Queer history as an important, yet obscured part of British history. Queer history belongs to all of us.
Watch this blog post as we continue to move from A-Z in Queer British History over the course of the next few days…
AIDS — ACT UP
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) is a grassroots political group working to improve the lives of people with AIDS. While the risk of infection for HIV is equal for everyone, the myth that it’s an LGBTQ+ pandemic persists.
Formed in 1987, ACT UP provides life-saving support and resources through medical research, treatment and advocacy. The UK chapter improves visibility, lobbies governments to change legislation and helps save LGBTQ+ lives.
Age of Consent
From 1967 to 1993, the age of consent for gay couples in England and Wale was 21. For opposite-sex couples? 16. In 1991 alone, 169 men who’d had sex with other men were convicted of underage sex, with 13 of them sent to prison. In 1993, the European Court ruled this inequality a breach of human rights and reduced the age of consent for same-sex relationships to 18. Equality was finally achieved in Great Britain in 2001.
Black Pride represents and celebrates Black LGBTQ+ and QTBIPOC culture through education, arts, cultural events and advocacy throughout the year.
A drag queen is someone (usually male) who performs femininity; and a drag king someone (usually female) who performs masculinity. That said, the scene has broadened significantly to recognise non-binary and non-gender conforming folk.
Freddie Mercury
Lead vocalist of Queen and one of the greatest singers in rock history, Mercury was well known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. He died in 1991 at age 45 owing to complications from AIDS. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2002, Mercury ranked number 58 in the BBC’s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.
A political group that fought for the liberation of gays, the UK branch was formed in 1970. A democratic movement where everyone who had something to say could speak, the GLF led demonstrations on issues affecting gay men and lesbians, such as the Anti-Industrial Relations Bill and the age of consent.
The GLF broke down barriers, demolished the traditional gay ghetto and encouraged a less inhibited gay community. It created new clubs, dating services, telephone helplines, counselling services, and established support groups for teenage gays, older gays, Black gays, Asian gays and disabled gays.
Gays and Lesbians Support the Miners
Pits and Perverts was an alliance of lesbians and gay men who supported the National Union of Mineworkers during the 1984–1985 strike. By the end of the strike, eleven different gay and lesbian groups had emerged, with the London group alone raising £22,500.
The alliances forged between the LGBTQ+ community and British labour groups during this time were pivotal for the progression of LGBTQ+ issues in the UK. As a result, miners’ labour groups began to support Pride events across the UK, and a resolution was passed at the 1985 Labour Party conference committing the party to the support of LGBTQ+ rights.
Gareth Thomas
Nicknamed “Alfie”, Thomas is a former Welsh pro rugby player and HIV awareness advocate. While he retired in 2011, he is still the 14th highest international try scorer and the third highest Welsh try scorer. Thomas came out as gay in 2009 and announced he was HIV positive with undetectable status ten years later. He was appointed a CBE in 2020 for services to sport and health.
Grindr
A social networking and online dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people, plus men who have sex with men, Grindr is the first geosocial app created for gay men. Launched in 2009, it’s now the largest and most popular gay mobile app in the world.
While Grindr has pioneered life-changing technology, it’s also surfaced important conversations around the moderation of hateful language and behaviour on social media, as well as the challenges surrounding privacy and disclosure ethics.
The number of intersex births varies but some experts suggest it may be as high as 1.7%.
Intersex UK is an organisation by and for intersex people. It works to protect the bodily autonomy and civil rights of intersex children, adolescents, and their families through government lobbying and educational outreach.
In the last ever episode, Julian and Sandy are revealed to be “married” to a pair of “dolly palones” named Julie and Sandra.
The Kinsey scale was created to show that sexuality doesn’t fit neatly into the two categories of homosexual and heterosexual but is fluid and subject to change over time. Created by Alfred Kinsey, the ‘father of the sexual revolution’, the scale assesses behaviour to rate individuals on a scale, instead of relying on sociocultural labels.
Kinsey’s first rating scale had thirty categories that represented thirty different case studies, but his final scale has only seven categories. Over 8,000 interviews were conducted throughout his research.
LGBTQ+ venues and safe spaces have shut down because of targeted raids, gentrification and pandemic lockdowns. These spaces were critically important to the LGBTQ+ community, providing supportive and inclusive environments where they were free to safely express their identities and values.
Some lost landmarks include London Apprentice, Market Tavern, XXL, Candy Bar, Astoria, Copacabana, the Fort, Pride of Stepney, Popstarz, Club Khali and First Out.
Founded in 1995 by parents of gender non-conforming children, Mermaids provides life-saving support for transgender youths and their families, carers and teachers. Its services include support groups, legal and policy support, and training for employers. One of the highest-profile charities supporting this audience, it’s frequently the target of attacks by trans-hostile media and pressure groups
RAPP is extremely proud to have partnered with Mermaids in their ‘Re-educating Google’ campaign, surfacing life-saving support for gender-diverse young people and the adults in their lives.
While non-binary people have existed since the beginning of time all around the world, their existence continues to be erased and their identities treated as an ‘inconvenience’. In the UK, non-binary people currently don’t have legal recognition and are forced to choose between ‘male’ or ‘female’ on official documents like passports, driving licences and marriage certificates — while also being forced to make decisions around places like bathrooms and changing rooms daily.
Noël Coward
Noël Coward was an astonishing creative: the highest-earning author in the western world over the 1930s, he wrote hit songs, musicals, novels, and short stories. Most astonishing of all? He lived an openly gay life at a time when homosexuality was illegal.
Oscar Wilde
A celebrated playwright and poet, Wilde was secretly homosexual at a time when it was a criminal offense in England. After his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas (a young British poet and aristocrat) was made public, Douglas’ father accused Wilde of being homosexual. In response, Wilde filed a libel action to disastrous consequences. Not only did he lose the case, but he was also arrested for gross indecency and sentenced to two years of hard labour. He died in poverty shortly after.
A useful way to communicate in public spaces without giving away your sexuality, it developed from an earlier form of language called Parlyaree which was rooted in Italian.
Once in Britain, Polari gained plenty of slang terminology from different sources, including Cockney Rhyming Slang, backslang (pronouncing a word as if it was spelt backwards), French, Yiddish and American air force slang.
Just some of the words to hit the mainstream include barney, blag, butch, camp, mince, naff, ogle, scarper and tod.
First aired in 1999, Queer as Folk showed the British public that gay lives and experiences could be positive, unapologetic and fun — something truly radical at a time when anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and gay bashing was on the rise. It not only helped change attitudes towards homosexuality and same-sex relationships for the better, but reassured LGBTQ+ youth they were perfectly normal and not alone. While the show was a triumph, LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media remains incredibly low.
A member of the PEN club, the council of the Society for Psychical Research, and the Zoological Society, Hall received the Gold Medal of the Eichelbergher Humane Award in 1930. She lived out her later years with her partner Lady Troubridge (Una Vincenzo) in East Sussex.
In response to tabloid-fuelled hysteria around schoolbooks referencing gay and lesbian families, the government introduced Section 28 of the Local Government Act in 1988. This barred local authorities in the UK from “intentionally promoting homosexuality or…promoting in schools the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.” The reasoning? To ‘protect’ kids from an organised effort by homosexual adults to influence, convert and ‘recruit’ them.
While Section 28 was fully repealed in 2003 (without apology or reparations) the effects were catastrophic: it erased positive LGBTQ+ role models for school kids, shut down support groups, and forced LGBTQ+ teachers back into the closet for fear of losing their jobs.
Today, the same baseless arguments are being recycled to ‘protect’ trans kids from the adults transphobic campaigners claim are ‘forcing’ them to transition. Tragically, yet another marginalised community is being attacked as history repeats itself.
Established in 1982, the Terrence Higgins Trust was the first UK charity set up in response to HIV and AIDS. Terry’s close friends and partner started the trust to raise funds for research and prevent suffering due to AIDS. After a groundswell of support at a meeting in Red Lion Square, Tony Whitehead and others joined the group to formally found the organisation and register it as a charity in 1984.
Today, it provides services relating to HIV and sexual health. Its specific aims include ending the transmission of HIV in the UK; supporting and empowering people living with HIV; eradicating stigma and discrimination; and promoting good sexual health and safe sex.
When a person living with HIV is on effective treatment, the level of HIV (the viral load) is lowered to the point that it becomes undetectable and can no longer be passed on to sexual partners.
Homosexual activity between men was made illegal in 1885 and by 1954 there were 1,069 men in prison for homosexual acts in England and Wales.
In 1957, the Tory government set up a departmental committee under Sir John Wolfenden to consider both homosexual offences and prostitution. The report resulted in several new, problematic pieces of legislation that included raising the age of consent to 21 for same-sex relationships; broadening the definition of the ‘common prostitute’ to ‘person’; and placing strict parameters around same-sex marriage. All of this made the continued criminalisation of the LGBTQ+ community much easier.
As easy as it is to sit back and wish the world were more inclusive, there’s loads you can do to transform yourself from an armchair supporter into an engaged and active LGBTQ+ ally. Where to start?
1. Get familiar with the language
A small but vital first step. The right language will ensure you’re being respectful to everyone and can make you feel more confident when discussing LGBTQ+ issues. Start by reading a glossary of terms and teaching yourself the right terminology.
2. Educate yourself on LGBTQ+ history
While you’ve already read every letter of the LGBTQ+ alphabet, why not explore the history of the LGBTQ+ movement? It’ll empower you to be an ally, while honouring the effort and sacrifices of those who came before you.
3. Discover the challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community today
Do your research into the current issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. Find campaigns that resonate and get active. Your focused support can help make a real difference.
4. Get involved and show your support
Sitting at home on the internet is just the start. If you really want to get involved, it’s important to show up. Research LGBTQ+ events near you that welcome allies, join the conversation and listen. Not only will it broaden your understanding and awareness, but your presence is a significant show of solidarity and support.
5. Stand up for what you believe in
It’s easy to imagine that when you come across discrimination or hateful language, you’ll immediately stand up and speak out. The reality can be very different, and challenging others can be intimidating. The important thing is to let your voice be heard. It might not be easy, but these are the situations that really count.
