The Origins of Homosexual Law Reform in Britain, 1950-1967
The School of Politics, History and International Relations at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus invites you to a history seminar on The Origins of Homosexual Law Reform in Britain, 1950-1967 by Dr Graham Willett, Honorary Fellow with the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
The Origins of Homosexual Law Reform in Britain, 1950-1967
In 1957 a British government inquiry published a report recommending that the laws on homosexuality, which dated back to 1533, ought to be reformed. Specifically it suggested that consenting adults in private ought to be allowed to practice homosexual acts. This report sparked an intense controversy and it would be a decade before it was legislated by the parliament. In this paper I want to look at how it was that in a very conservative society, such as Britain in the 1950s, such ideas could be raised and endorsed by a committee of eminent, and eminently respectable, citizens appointed by the government. And given that the reaction was almost entirely hostile, how did reform finally come about in 1967?
Details:
Date: 21 May 2014, Wednesday
Time: 19:00 to 20:30
Venue: KLTC Room 16
RSVP: IAPS.Malaysia@nottingham.edu.my
Free admission. All are welcome.
About the Speaker
Dr Graham Willett is Honorary Fellow with the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia, is currently working on a transnational history, The Origins of Homosexual Law Reform in the British World, 1950-1970. He researches gay and lesbian history with particular attention to Australia. He is the author of Living Out Loud: A History of Gay and Lesbian Activism in Australia (Allen and Unwin, 2000), several major edited collections including Australia Down Under and many journal articles and chapters. He is President of the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives and also advises on community archiving, curating and public history.
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