As queer history continues to be more widely celebrated and explored, scholars are uncovering stories that up until now were lost to time. Individuals who were once condemned as outcasts are now being re-examined and reclaimed. With greater understanding regarding both gender and sexuality, we are able to collectively shed new light on previously overlooked queer stories. This work has uncovered a veritable treasure trove of tales that provide insight on LGBTQ+ life in the past as well valuable lessons for today. While some of the people presented here lived complex and troubled lives, their stories often remain profound examples of the cruelty and discrimination so often faced by queer persons and the bravery shown in the face of it.
EDWARD CARPENTER
The openly gay man who defied the laws of Victorian Britain and advocated for the acceptance of queer individuals
During the 1800s and early 1900s, Great Britain was not a welcoming place to LGBTQ+ persons. In 1895, famed Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde was placed on trial for ‘gross indecency’, creating a national scandal. It may come as something of a shock to discover that a mere 13 years later Edward Carpenter, an openly gay man, published a book entitled that argued that homosexuality was a legitimate love that needed to be accepted. “Carpenter was a socialist, a vegetarian and a campaigner for gay rights in turn-of-the-century England,” says Dr Elliot Evans. “He was also critical of highly polluting industries and advocated for prison reform. He wrote published in 1908, which argued for a number of ‘intermediate’ positions aside from ‘man’ and ‘woman’.” Deeply influenced by the works of poet Walt Whitman, Carpenter was a strong believer in the on Merrill.
