#sodomy aka anal/oral sex aka most of gay intercourse

[tea-with--honey]

Happy pride to the folks who live in countries where being queer is a crime and, in some instances, legally punishable by death. I see you, I'm with you, I'll celebrate with you. Hoping ur celebrating online or in your head or in an awesome private place with your queer companions. Maybe youre not! Maybe youre out there fighting for our rights and if you are then hell yeah! But this goes out to the ones who cant because of the risk. We're still queer and we can still celebrate pride in our own little ways. Love yall :)

[feministanglophile]

The Growth of the Gay Soho Scene

Soho is one of the most well-known LGBTQIA+ neighborhoods in London. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Soho has been a well-loved and visited destination for the LGBTQIA+ community to flock to, with the majority of gay vendors located on Old Compton Street, where “British rock n’ roll and the popular music industry” was ‘born’ at the 2i's Coffee Bar. Today, Old Compton Street is home to several LGBTQIA+ businesses such as restaurants, bars, and cafés. On the surrounding streets, you will find yourself sex shops for all types of customers. Pride flags fly freely throughout the neighborhood. Same-sex couples are featured on murals on the buildings in full view to everyone. Drag queens strut down the streets in full garb, on their way to a performance or just on a walk throughout the neighborhood. Soho is bustling with gay energy and the freedom to be whoever you want. Soho has always been a safe haven for gay folks, but the city of London didn’t always have that title.

In England, the biggest threat to the heteronormative agenda was one thing and one thing only: gay men! Sodomy, anal or oral copulation with a member of the same or opposite sex (Merriam-Webster). Sodomy was mainly focused on the male gender and their same-sex partners. Female same-sex acts were deemed unmentionable and didn’t bring the same panic because people assumed women didn’t enjoy sex. The history of sodomy in England began with the Buggery Act 1533 passed by Henry VIII and ended in 1835 with the execution of James Pratt and John Smith. In 1885, the Labouchere Amendment was passed by Parliament in order to punish gay men committing assumed acts of sodomy, aka men who were caught with same-sex partners but it wasn’t obvious whether they had anal intercourse. A popular punishment of the Labourchere Amendment was two years of hard labor. Most famous for his flamboyant behavior, Oscar Wilde was committed to two years under this amendment in 1895. Alan Turing, known for decoding the Nazis' messages which led to their defeat in WWII, was arrested and put through chemical castration, to kill his libido. Homosexuality, as an identity and lifestyle, was banned in England until 1967.

Because of this history in England, gay men flocked to London to hide within the population of the capital. Neighborhoods like Soho housed pubs, clubs, and cabarets with their main clientele being gay men and women. From Molly Houses in the 1700s to shebeens in the 1900s, London created a home for all those looking to belong. The obliviously obvious scenes of queerness were hidden by the fear of being arrested or outed to their families. Several gay men found their way to London and found their own families. When talking about the queerness of London, Cyril said, ‘I have only been queer since I came to London about two years ago, before then I knew nothing about it’ (Houlbrook). 

Because of the growing population of queer folks in London, the number of both public and private bars were being opened. A safer space for those who went against the heteronomous expectations of the time, the capital was bustling with businesses catered towards homosexuals. The first official “gay bar” that was opened in London was Cave of the Golden Calf, a nightclub opened by Frida Strindberg (Cook). The Cave was only opened for two years, but it gained a reputation of being a hot spot for open minds and open sexuality adventures. The Caravan Club was another popular spot for gay men and lesbians to spend time with potential lovers and friends without being in hiding. Opened in the 1930s, the Caravan was styled like a bohemian getaway with blankets on the floors and walls, cushions all around [Houlbrook]. A lush and comfortable retreat, it’s entry was a behind a hidden gate in an alley. All that is known of what the inside of the Caravan looked like are pictures the police took during the infamous raid of August 1934. The National Archives recreated the layout of the Caravan for an exhibit in 2017 (inspiringcity). 

Soho [and London!] have come a long way from being a hidden sanctuary for LGBTQIA+ folks to having shops with pride flags hanging above their doors, in solidarity of what this city and neighborhood have gone through to get to where they are now. And while there are still struggles coming up for the community, the fact that little positive things like the queerness of Soho exist shows that growth is possible.

Cited Sources

Caravan Club, The. Wikipedia. Retrieved from     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Caravan_Club_(Endell_Street)#Police_interest_and_raid

Cave of the Golden Calf, The. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cave_of_the_Golden_Calf

Cook, Matt (2003). London and the Culture of Homosexuality, 1885-1914 (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture).

Houlbrook, Matt (2005). Queer London: PERILS AND PLEASURES IN THE SEXUAL METROPOLIS, 1918-1957

Inspiringcity (2017). A Journey around the Queer City of Soho, its clubs and its culture. Inspiringcity. Retrieved from https://inspiringcity.com/2017/02/27/a-journey-around-the-queer-city-of-soho-its-clubs-and-its-culture/

Segalov, Michael (2017). A Short History of the British Gay Bar. Vice. Retrieved from https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/53n4px/a-short-history-of-the-british-gay-bar

Segalov, Michael (1917). Uncovering fifty years of queer nightlife in London. Huck. Retrieved from https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/photography-2/lgbt-history-dalston-superstore-exhibition/

Sodomy. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sodomy