PATH Project

Prejudice & Solidarity Archived Throughout History

LGBT+ History

Background knowledge

Despite greater awareness in recent years, there still exist numerous myths, misconceptions and lack of knowledge on LGBT+ Issues, as well as their history in general. Here are just some examples:

Homosexuality was seen as a mental illness, psychology of which was built on the ideas of Sigmund Freud in early 1900s. Medical reports confirmed these but were conducted on Queer people in psychiatric institutions and prisons (Selection bias – if you interview criminals, you get to know how criminals behave but not an entire group of people)

Male homosexuality is a criminal offence officially in UK since 1885. Lesbianism was never a crime. Sodomy was any sexual act that was outside of marriage and/or domestic scene. People were not charged often because no law enforcement (outside Religion) existed at the time.

Transgender people existed for centuries prior to hormone or other medical intervention. Cross-dressing was a common practice among variety of peoples, and gender and social roles were defined as a means of control and structure rather than being self-evident.

In 1988, Section 28 of UK’s new Local Government Bill threatened to pull funding out of schools and other institutions if they discussed homosexuality – so LGBT+ groups had to self-organise to protect its community, especially regarding the HIV epidemic and preservation of queer history and culture.