In this episode, we discuss the close connections between the movements for sexual freedom and freedom of belief. Joined by cultural historians Lesley Hall and Peter Parker, we chart the journey from the sex-reform societies of the Victorian era to the decriminalisation campaigns of the mid-20th century, and the founding of the Gay Humanist Group (now LGBT Humanists).
Lesley Hall is a historian and retired archivist, specialising in sexuality and gender in 19th and 20th century Britain. She is the author of Sex, Gender and Social Change in Britain since 1880, and The Life and Times of Stella Browne: Feminist and Free Spirit.
Peter Parker is a cultural historian and biographer, and author of Some Men in London: Queer Life, (Vol 1) 1945–1959 & (Vol 2) 1960-1967.
Humanism, LGBT rights, Activism, Science, Social reform, Decriminalisation, Wolfenden Report.
Laurence Housman (1865–1959) An artist, writer, and Vice President of the Ethical Union (now Humanists UK) for nearly 40 years. Housman was a founding member of the British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology (BSSSP), championing a broad reform agenda that united gay rights, suffrage, and birth control. Read more about Laurence Housman.
A.E. Housman (1859–1936) Renowned poet, classical scholar, and brother of Laurence Housman, who remained closeted during his lifetime. Read more about Alfred Edward Housman.
E.M. Forster (1879–1970) Celebrated novelist, staunch humanist, and Vice President of the British Humanist Association. While he kept his novel Maurice unpublished during his lifetime, Forster worked actively behind the scenes, pouring funds into the Homosexual Law Reform Society and co-drafting its historic letter to The Times. Read more about E.M. Forster.
Stella Browne (1880–1955) A pioneering feminist, bisexual activist, and a passionate member of the British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology. Browne was one of the first women to speak publicly on lesbianism within the society and spent her life campaigning for reproductive autonomy, sex education, and abortion rights. Read more about Stella Browne.
Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) The utilitarian philosopher who argued that consensual homosexual acts should not be treated as criminal offenses, laying the early intellectual groundwork for the abolition of the death penalty for sodomy. Read more about Jeremy Bentham.
Antony Grey (1927–2010) The long-serving secretary of the Homosexual Law Reform Society and the Albany Trust. Grey spearheaded secular counselling services to help LGBT individuals accept themselves, and delivered a 1980 lecture to the Gay Humanist Group, called ‘Being Rational about Being Gay’. Read more about Antony Grey.
Maureen Duffy (b. 1933) Author, playwright, and activist who was the first honorary President of the Gay Humanist Group. Read more about LGBT Humanists.