Timeline of UK LGBT History

Note: strictly speaking the year 2000 belongs to the 20th century, but for convenience it is treated here as belonging to the 21st (and similarly with other centuries).

2nd century

• 122 – Emperor Hadrian visits Britain.

6th century

• c547 – Death of King Maelgwn of Gwynedd.

9th century

• 804 – Death of Alcuin.

12th century

• 1100 – Death of King William II.
• 1102 – Council of London condemns homosexuality.
• 1109 – Death of Saint Anselm
• 1125 – Hilarius writing around this time.
• 1167 – Death of Saint Aelred
• 1199 – Death of King Richard I

13th century

• c.1290 – Publication of Fleta, first book to mention a punishment for homosexuality in English law.

14th century

• 1327 – Murder of King Edward II
• 1391 – Death of Sir John Clanvowe and Richard Neville
• 1395 – John Rykener arrested for cross-dressing

15th century

• 1400 – Death of King Richard II

16th century

• 1533 – Buggery Act 1533 brings in the death penalty (hanging) for gay sex.
• 1541 - Nicholas Udall convicted of buggery and imprisoned.

17th century

• 1625 – Death of King James I.
• 1625 – Death of Francis Bacon (philosopher).
• 1628 – Assassination of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
• 1631 – Mervyn Tuchet beheaded for alleged sodomy with his page.
• 1664 – Death of Katherine Philips
• 1688 – "Glorious Revolution" brings William III to power.

18th century

• 1702 – William III dies, succeeded by Queen Anne.
• 1726 – Three men convicted of sodomy following cases brought by Thomas Newton.
  • – Death of Sir Isaac Newton, Britain's greatest scientist, sometimes considered to have been gay.
• 1780 – The Ladies of Llangollen set up home together.

19th century

• 1810 – The White Swan, Vere Street raided.
• 1822 – Percy Jocelyn deposed as Bishop of Clogher for "Sodomitical practices".
  • – Suicide of Lord Castlereagh.
• 1859 – sudden resignation of Charles John Vaughan as Headmaster of Harrow School, for reasons not explained until the 1970s.
• 1861 – The Offences against the Person Act 1861 abolished the death sentence for gay sex.
• 1883 – Publication of A problem in Greek ethics by John Addington Symonds, one of the first essays in defense of homosexuality in the English language.
• 1885 – Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 made "gross indecency" (homosexual acts, even in private) a crime. The ‘Labouchere Amendment’ was known as the “Blackmailer’s Charter”.
• 1895 – Oscar Wilde convicted of gross indecency.
  • – Winston Churchill successfully sues for libel.
• 1897 – First English-language publication of Sexual Inversion by Havelock Ellis and John Addington Symonds, the first medical textbook about homosexuality.

20th century

• 1900 – Death of Oscar Wilde.
• 1928 – Publication of lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall.
• 1954 – Lord Montagu of Beaulieu convicted of gay offences.
• 1957 – Wolfenden Report recommends decriminalisation of homosexuality.
• 1958 – Albany Trust and Homosexual Law Reform Society formed.
• 1962 – John Vassall arrested and charged with spying.
• 1963 – Founding of lesbian magazine Arena Three.
• 1965 – Founding of lesbian organisation Kenric
  • – Rose Robertson founds Parents Enquiry.
• 1966 – Founding of trans organisation the Beaumont Society.
• 1967 – Sexual Offences Act 1967 partially decriminalises sex between men in England and Wales.
  • – North Western Homosexual Law Reform Committee formed, later to be re-founded as CHE.
• 1971 – the Corbett v Corbett case, involving April Ashley, established the precedent that a person's sex could not legally be changed from what it was at birth.
  • – London Friend formed.
  • – CHE London Group Seven (later Croydon Area Gay Society) founded.
  • – GLF Gay March: first London Gay March took place protesting against the unequal age of consent for men.
• 1972 – Allegro Music Group formed.
  • – Gay News first published.
  • – Gay Pride first march and carnival took place in London.
• 1974 – London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard launched providing shared LGBT accommodation to Londoners.
• 1980 – Heaven, the first all-week gay nightclub, opens in London.
  • – Scotland decriminalises male homosexuality.
• 1981 - London Bi Group forms, the first bi-specific social/support group.
• 1982 – Terrence Higgins Trust the HIV/AIDs charity formed.
  • – Northern Ireland decriminalises male homosexuality.
• 1984 – Chris Smith MP Culture Secretary, becomes first MP to come out as being gay whilst in office. In 2005, he was the first politician to disclose he was HIV positive.
• 1988 – Section 28 passed.
• 1989 – Stonewall (UK) launched.
  • – London Raiders LGBT Softball team begins.
• 1992 – Death of Francis Bacon (artist).
  • – Europride held in London.
  • – Gay Men Fighting AIDS founded (later GMFA and HERO).
• 1993 – Back Pocket Guide to London first published.
• 1995 – Adonis Art Gallery founded.
  • – Launch of South London Gays.
• 1998 – LGBT Consortium founded.
• 1999 – Admiral Duncan pub bombed (30 April).

21st century

• 2000 – Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 repeals Section 28 in Scotland.
  • – Military lifts ban on gay people serving.
  • – Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 equalises the age of consent.
• 2001 – Croydon Friend closed.
• 2002 - First Cake Awards presented.
• 2003 – Section 28 repealed in England and Wales.
  • – Europride held in Manchester
  • – Discrimination at Work on the grounds of sexual orientation becomes illegal.
• 2004 – Civil Partnership Act 2004 gives legal equal rights to lesbian and gay couples.
• 2005 – First Civil partnerships performed.
• 2006 – Europride held in London
• 2009 – First Derek Oyston Film Award.
• 2010 – LGBT London website set up.
• 2011 – LGBT History Project website set up.
  • – Diversity Role Models launched.
  • – First Out Café London, closes after 25 years.
  • – Civil partnership ceremonies permitted on religious premises
• 2012 – Europride to be held in London

External links

Some other LGBT timelines:

• Wikipedia: Timeline of (world) LGBT history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_LGBT_history
• Wikipedia: Two timelines of UK LGBT history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_LGBT_history_in_Britain and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_history_in_the_United_Kingdom
• Timeline of events recorded in the Hall-Carpenter Archives: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/library/archive/online_resources/lgbt/timeline.aspx
• Gay Chronicles from the beginning of time to the end of World War II: http://www.webcitation.org/5knsbJ2KF
• http://www.stonewall.org.uk/at_home/history_of_lesbian_gay_and_bisexual_equality/default.asp
• http://www.help.northwest.nhs.uk/lgbt_timeline
• http://www.pcsproud.org.uk/our_story.pdf
• http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/laic/laictimeline/laictimeline.html
• Jobcentre Plus Timeline of gay history: http://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/website/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/9631_GHW-A3FlagPoster.pdf
• GLBTQ Encyclopedia: United Kingdom History http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/united_kingdom_01.html
• UK Gay News Timeline Of Gay and Lesbian Marriage, Partnership or Unions Worldwide: http://ukgaynews.org.uk/marriage_timeline.htm