What is it about?
This book explores the experiences of male homosexuals in Scotland from the 19th century to the decriminalisation of homosexual acts in 1980. The book explores legal, social, religious and medical attitudes to same-sex desire, and examines the life experiences of 24 gay or bisexual men who lived in Scotland between the Second World War and the 1980s.
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Why is it important?
This is the first major scholarly work to investigate attitudes towards male homosexuality in Scotland, and adds significantly to the sexual histories of the United Kingdom, which have until very recently been dominated by work focusing on the larger cities of England, especially London.
Perspectives
The book was the result of 4 years of research in an effort to fill some of the silences in Scotland about our queer past. I used a combination of extensive archival resources, including legal records, to chart attitudes to same-sex desire in Scotland, with oral history interviews with gay and bisexual men. I think the book offers some key analysis of the roles of the Scottish churches both in denying legal reform, and, acting later as agents of change. Discovering sexual subcultures existed outside of London during the early 20th century is another key finding. I think the book adds layers of understanding to the queer past in Scotland and Great Britain.
Dr Jeffrey M Meek
University of Glasgow
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Queer Voices in Post-War Scotland, January 2015, Nature,
DOI: 10.1057/9781137444110.
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