Famous historical figures who were gay

With same-sex marriage now legal in all parts of the UK, it can sometime be easy to forget how different attitudes to homosexuality were in the past, and how much change has taken place over the past 50 years. For hundreds of years gay people have struggled to be accepted and treated the same as people who are not gay.

In fact it wasn't untilthat two men were able to be in a relationship together without the fear of being arrested. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. History of Gay Rights in the UK. What is homophobia? All you need to know as Stonewall turns LGBT history month takes place in February each year, to help educate people on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, as well as the history of the gay and civil rights movements.

Find out more about some of those who have made an impact both from the past and present. Alan Turing was not a well known figure during his lifetime, but today he is famous and famous historical figures who were gay for the crucial part he played in the victory over Nazi Germany in WW2.

Turing was a mathematician who cracked something called the Enigma code, which is thought to have shortened the war by several years. He was also a victim of midth Century attitudes to homosexuality and in was arrested because being homosexual was illegal in Britain at this time.

In he was pardoned for this 'crime', and in the government agreed to officially pardon men accused of 'crimes' like thismeaning they will no longer have a criminal record. This pardoning has come to be known as the Alan Turing law. Oscar Wilde is one of the famous playwrights of all time, in fact, you might even have studied 'The Importance of Being Earnest' - one of his most famous plays - at school.

He was married to a woman and had two sons, but was later accused of being homosexual.

The amazing historical LGBT figures you might not know

After details of his private life were revealed during a court case had started, he was arrested and tried for gross indecency. He was sentenced to two years of hard labour, and his wife took their children to Switzerland. His time in prison severely affected his health and once he was released he spent the rest of his life in Europe.

Marsha P. Johnson was an African American transgender-rights activist, whose work in the s and s had a huge impact on the LGBT community. At this time, being gay was classified as a mental illness in the United States. Gay people were regularly threatened and beaten by police, and were shunned by many in society.

The police forced over people out of the bar and onto the streets, and then used excessive violence against them. Marsha, who was living and working in New York at the time, was one of the key figures who stood up to the police during the raids. Marsha resisted arrest, but in the following days, led a series of protests and riots demanding rights for gay people.

News of these protests spread around the world, inspiring others to join protests and rights groups to fight for equality. Read more about Marsha P. Johnson here. These days he's often called the grandfather of the gay rights movement, for openly campaigning as a gay man when homosexuality was still illegal.

In Allan Horsfall and a group of friends set up the North West Homosexual Law Reform Committee, even giving out his home address as the base for the organisation. To be so open at that time was very brave. It became the first campaigning organisation outside of London set up and run by gay men, and its work directly led to homosexuality no longer being illegal.