Timeline of LGBT+ History for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire
Years 1900 – 1949
In the first half of the nineteenth century all sexual intimacy between men was a criminal offence. Government considered outlawing sex between women, and although this was not brought into law lesbian relationships were still stigmatised. Despite this people did engage in same sex relationships and it seems likely that these were mostly tolerated within the local community as private matters. Homosexuality became more widely discussed eventually leading to the idea that it was an aberration that could be cured. The second world war saw a relaxation in public morality and same sex intimacy in the armed services was commonplace despite being against military law.
1903 - Edward Carpenter in Leek
Edward Carpenter was an influential socialist of the Victorian era who wrote about same sex desire at a time when homosexual behaviour was criminalised and widely condemned. In 1903 he delivered a lecture at The William Morris Labour Church in Leek on “The Art of Creation”. Read more about his lecture and connections to Leek…
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, accusing her of being a lesbian associate of German wartime conspirators. Read more including a local report in the Evening Sentinel…
1921 - Proposal to Outlaw Gross Indecency Between Women
A new offence of gross indecency between women was drafted under amendments to the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 1921. Colonel Josiah Wedgwood, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme voiced opposition to the amendment fearing that it would promote an increase in blackmail. Read more…
1920s - The Unicorn Inn and the Origins of Our Gay Scene
The earliest recollections handed down in our LGBT+ community say that the Unicorn Inn was a meeting place as early as the 1920s. Our gay scene may have had origins within the culture of local theatre communities as early as the mid 1800s. Read more about the early origins of our gay scene…
1928 - "The Well of Loneliness" A Lesbian Novel is banned
“The Well of Loneliness” is a novel by British author Radclyffe Hall first published in 1928. Shortly after the book’s publication, a British court judged it obscene because it defended “unnatural practices between women” and it was not published again until 1949. The book’s notoriety increased the visibility of lesbians and for decades it was the best-known lesbian novel in English. Read local newspaper reports…
1922 - Quentin Crisp Attends Denstone College in Uttoxeter
Quentin Crisp was born Denis Charles Pratt on 25 December 1908. While at Kingswood House School in Epsom, Surrey he won a scholarship to Denstone College, a boys boarding school in Uttoxeter where he studied from 1922 to 1926 aged 13 to 17. His memories of Denstone College are recorded in chapter 2 of his autobiography, “The Naked Civil Servant” though he only refers to a “public school on the borders of Staffordshire and Derbyshire”.
Our timeline is a work in progress, we need your help!
We want to create a record of the important people, places, organisations and events that are part of our history. We would love to receive your memories and recollections – please send us details of anything that we can include.
Our history is important, lets make sure it’s not hidden or forgotten!
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