By Mia Nathan
Constantly having to combat irrational and dangerous thinking is strenuous and sometimes tedious, but not necessarily boring. It can be fun.
Antony Grey, in a letter congratulating LGBT Humanists on their ten year anniversary (1989)
Antony Grey, born Anthony Edgar Gartside Wright on 25 October 1927 in Wilmslow, Cheshire, was a prominent British gay activist who played a crucial role in the early efforts to advance LGBT rights. Grey’s activism began in the 1950s when homosexuality was criminalised in the United Kingdom.
In the early 1960s, Grey became involved with the Homosexual Law Reform Society (HLRS), an organisation dedicated to decriminalising homosexuality. Serving as the secretary of HLRS from 1962 to 1970, he tirelessly advocated for legal reforms and engaged in public campaigns to challenge the existing discriminatory laws. Following his mother’s request to refrain from using his family name, Grey adopted the pseudonym Antony Grey to accompany the gay campaigning work carried out during this time. He cited the choice of ‘grey’ due to a belief that nothing in life was essentially black or white, a nuanced framework which may well have underpinned his humanist values.
One of Grey’s significant contributions was his involvement in the Wolfenden Report, a groundbreaking study that recommended the decriminalisation of private homosexual liaisons between consenting adults. The report laid the groundwork for the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967, a milestone achievement for LGBT rights in the UK. However, Grey himself was conflicted about the report. In an article published in the 1967 issue of Arena Three, he recognised both the restrictions and pitfalls within the act as it stood, as well as its remarkable potential for further law reform.
Beyond legal reforms, Grey continued his activism by addressing societal attitudes toward homosexuality and working to reduce stigma. He emphasised the importance of education and understanding in fostering acceptance. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Grey served as the director of the Albany Trust, an organisation focused on providing counselling and support to individuals grappling with issues related to homosexuality. Under Grey’s leadership, the Albany Trust played a vital role in creating a more understanding and compassionate environment for the LGBT community. The organisation sought to challenge societal prejudices and provide a safe space for individuals to explore their sexual identities. Grey’s tenure at the Albany Trust further underscored his multifaceted approach to advocacy, combining legal activism with efforts to promote social acceptance and emotional wellbeing within the LGBT community.
Grey was also involved in the Gay Humanist Group (now LGBT Humanists). He gave a talk ‘Being Rational about Being Gay’ on 13 June 1980 at Conway Hall. In this talk, he highlighted the importance of countering irrational attitudes towards gay people in order to cultivate a rhetoric of self-acceptance and so disavow harmful myths targeting the LGBT community. He describes first coming into contact with the humanist movement through meeting key members such as Barbara Smoker, David Tribe, and Bill McIlroy. Tackling these issues in a holistic manner, the talk acknowledges Grey’s commitment to defending the issues of human rights and civil liberties in accordance with the freedom to publish and sexual freedom. These humanist principles continually informed his advocating process towards social attitudes and reforms regarding homosexuality, both within his lifetime and beyond.
In keeping with the wry sense of humour demonstrated in the newsletters of LGBT Humanists, Grey called for a continued alertness to ideology counterproductive to LGBT principles. In doing so, he also praised the unequivocal support LGBT Humanists provided to members committed to dismantling legal barricades against LGBT rights.
Constantly having to combat irrational and dangerous thinking is strenuous and sometimes tedious, but not necessarily boring. It can be fun. And as no-one else is doing it as consistently and effectively as is necessary. I hope that [LGBT Humanists] will concentrate on a demolition job of much of the silly rubbish that is still spouted about homosexuality.
Grey writing to congratulate LGBT Humanists on their ten year anniversary in 1989
Later in his career, Grey remained committed to LGBT causes, contributing to discussions on issues such as discrimination and HIV/AIDS awareness. Grey obtained a diploma in counselling skills in 1981, and published several books including Quest for Justice: Towards Homosexual Emancipation (1992) and the memoir Personal Tapestry (2008). His advocacy spanned several decades, leaving a lasting impact on the advancement of LGBT rights in the United Kingdom.
Antony Grey died on 30 April 2010, but his legacy lives on in the progress made toward LGBT equality. In 1995, Grey was awarded the Pink Paper Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2007 he was elected as Hero of the Year by Stonewall supporters. His dedication to the cause and pivotal role in legal reforms have solidified his status as a key figure in the history of gay activism in the UK.
Main image: Antony Grey in the 1960s, contributed by Ross Burgess to the LGBT Archive.
This profile was written by Humanist Heritage volunteer, Mia Nathan. Their postgraduate research seeks to uncover links between past and contemporary queer documentation in order to restore continuity to queer voices functioning in a dialectic across time. Mia is also an oral history volunteer for Humanist Heritage: Doers, Dreamers, Place Makers, with a particular interest in how the audio dimension of oral testimonies can accompany written and visual work within a queer archive. In writing the article on Antony Grey, she wanted to promote the pivotal work of a humanist figure who fought for the legal recognition of gay rights, and encourage readers to reflect on the consequences for LGBT individuals today.
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