1918 – Maud Allan Libel Case
In the spring of 1918, famous Canadian dancer and actress, Maud Allan pursued a libel case against right wing MP Noel Pemberton-Billing. The case revolved around an article published in his newspaper “The Vigilante” which was headlined “The Cult of the Clitoris” and referenced Maud Allan’s performance in a production of Oscar Wilde’s Salome. The article accused Allan of being a lesbian associate of German wartime conspirators.
The trial resurrected public disapproval of Oscar Wilde, whose own failed libel trial had initiated his arrest, conviction and imprisonment for sodomy two decades earlier.
Although these events took place in London The trial was widely reported throughout the UK including in our local Evening Sentinel here in Stoke-on-Trent. It evidences a time in which there was widespread public disapproval of lesbians. Three years after this trial, parliament discussed proposals to outlaw indecency between women.
Read More
Maud Allan in The National Archives
The Independent Newspaper – A hundred years on from the ‘cult of the clitoris’ libel trial
Report on Outcome of the Trial in the Evening Sentinel, 4th June 1918
In conclusion, the jury found Pemberton-Billing not guilty. In his closing statement, the judge spent a great deal of time detailing how the play was inappropriate for either public or private performances. Allan was publicly shamed, while Pemberton-Billing was largely vindicated. He did, however, receive a great deal of criticism from the judge during the trial.
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