Encyclopedia
Discussion
research guide
editors & contributors
write the editor
Hughes, LangstonLangston Hughes, whose literary legacy is enormous and varied, was closeted, but homosexuality was an important influence on his literary imagination, and many of his poems may be read as gay texts.
Beat GenerationThe writers of the Beat Generation, many of whom were gay or bisexual, endorsed gay rights as a part of their rebellion against inhibition and self-censorship.
Comedy of MannersThe Comedy of Manners, which flourished on the Restoration stage, has been particularly amenable to twentieth-century gay male writers as a vehicle for social satire in both dramatic and nondramatic works.
Sedaris, DavidUsing his and his family's experiences, particularly his childhood in Raleigh, North Carolina, and his own wacky perspective on life, David Sedaris has become a world-famous humorist, comedian, writer, playwright, and radio personality.
Novel: LesbianFrom the great modernist writers of the 1920s and 1930s to the pulp writers of the 1950s to the lesbian writers of today, lesbian novelists have had a powerful impact on the lesbian community.
From its beginning, the nineteenth century in England had a purposeful homosexual literature of considerable bulk, both male and female, though it was fettered by oppression.
Persecuted for his homosexuality by the Castro government he had once championed, Cuban novelist, essayist, and poet Reinaldo Arenas challenged all types of ideological dogmatism.
Baudelaire, CharlesLast updated on: 02/07/13
Equal rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
After the U.K.'s House of Commons voted in favor of the equal marriage bill by a margin of 400 to 175 on February 5, 2013, Britons celebrated the victory. While some newspapers attempted to construe the vote as a defeat for Prime Minister Cameron, who was unable to persuade a majority of his Conservative MPs to vote in favor of the bill, the fact remains that the vote was overwhelming.
Writing in PinkNews, equal rights campaigner Peter Tatchell described the vote as "a resounding, historic victory for love and equality. It has brought joy and hope to tens of thousands of same-sex couples who love each other and who want to get married."
He added, "We are on the cusp of ending the last major legal discrimination against gay people. This vote for equal marriage is the culmination of the struggle for homosexual equality that I and others began in the 1960s. We are nearly there."
A vigil outside Parliament turned into a great celebration when the lop-sided tally was announced.
However, James Howarth, a campaigner with the Peter Tatchell Foundation, struck a note of caution: "The opponents of same-sex marriage are a vociferous homophobic minority, mostly motivated by irrational religious dogma. They want to maintain heterosexual privilege in law; putting tradition before dignity, fairness, equality and compassion.
"They are resorting to smears and scare tactics, including the unfounded claims that same-sex marriage will be forced on religious institutions and that it is the slippery slope to legalising polygamy and incest. These are revolting slurs, unworthy of any genuine person of faith."
He said that "The fact that some senior politicians and churchmen believe same-sex couples are unworthy of marriage is proof that homophobia is still an acceptable prejudice at the highest levels of society. Their support for discrimination in marriage law gives comfort to bigots everywhere."
While caution is advisable as the bill continues its passage into law, there is also reason to celebrate.
In the video below, Labour MP David Lammy speaks during the debate on the marriage bill in the House of Commons and declares that "separate but equal" is a fraud.
The video below, from Britain's Channel 4 News, places the equal marriage vote in historical perspective. (Thanks to Joe Jervis.)
learn more about glbtq contact us advertise on glbtq.com
glbtq™ and its logo are trademarks of glbtq, Inc.
This site and its contents Copyright © 2002-2013, glbtq, Inc.