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BETTER KNOWN FOR looking after Britain’s stately homes, the National Trust is organising a series of walking tours on Soho’s gay history to celebrate 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised.
The tours bring to life the hidden stories of a once-seedy and now increasingly gentrified part of London that served as a refuge for gay people in an era when a kiss could send you to prison.
The visits last around 90 minutes and take visitors to six spots tracing the history of the area between World War I and 1967, when homosexuality was partially decriminalised in England and Wales.
The first stop on the tour is 41 Dean Street, now a high-end restaurant that used to be the Colony Room, a famous hang-out for artists and poets that was a favourite haunt for the painter Lucian Freud.
The area was filled with gay bars at the time and, by the end of the tour, names of places and their secret locations become a blur because there are so many.
Along with gay revellers, the central London area was also filled with police – both in the streets and in the clubs – many looking for easy prosecutions.
“It was very dangerous to wear lipsticks,” said Richard Sutton, one of the volunteer tour guides.
“One of the tests to see if someone was gay was actually to use blotting paper. They put blotting paper on your face and if it came up that you were having make-up it was used as evidence,” he said.
Sometimes “just being effeminate was enough to convict you of being gay”.
‘There was life before’
Some 46,000 people were prosecuted for homosexuality between 1895 – when Irish poet Oscar Wilde was convicted for sodomy and sent to prison – and 1967.
Alan Turing, the legendary mathematician who helped crack Nazi codes during World War II, was arrested for homosexuality in 1952.
He was given the option of chemical castration to avoid prison and was found dead two years later at the age of 41, probably from suicide.
The last stop on the tour is a partial reconstruction of the Caravan Club, which was shut down in 1934 and was described at the time as a meeting place for “sexual perverts, lesbians and sodomites”.
Inside, there were low chairs, drapes and tea cups.
A typewriter and a police report from when the club was shut down could be seen on one of the tables.
From this time of persecution, the situation has improved immeasurably and gay marriage was legalised in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014.
Soho has also changed.
Some of its most famous clubs and cabarets have shut down and been replaced by cocktail bars and burger restaurants. According to some residents, it has lost its soul.
“A lot of places have closed. It’s all grey! People cannot afford the rents,” said Camilo, a shopkeeper at Zegerman Clothing on Greek Street.
“There was life before, it was full of colours!”.
- © AFP 2017.
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‘A demonstrable interest in how women are portrayed on the internet’ is one of the criteria, why?
@stephen kavanagh: The article says ” internet culture giant DailyEdge with its core audience of smart, internet-devoted women,” so it would seem that they are aiming the product at women and I guess they want someone who has an interest in that area. Personally I do not see why a site with celeb nonsense and “light” news should be considered to be for women but then I guess I’m just an old fashioned feminist.
@Diarmaid Mac Aonghusa: Ah I didn’t see that, how old fashioned and stereotypical
@stephen kavanagh: I don’t particularly know but I’d recommend Brendan o Carrol for the Job. As most of that type of shite, is shite & he could make that shite a whole heap of shite worthy of the effort of having a Gander, so to speak, He/She would be a F*(‘ng Rocket to send the shit right to the top…
All your CV needs to say is “Great at scouring Reddit, lovin Dublin, and Buzzfeed”
@Daniel Wilson: you make it sound like lovin Dublin don’t rob all their content
@Daniel Wilson: being able to copy and paste is a must.
Give Kevin Myers a call. Seriously. That would spice up the content and give the IT a run for it’s money. Excellent journo who has apologised and ate more than enough humble unlike so many others who ought to be thrown out ages ago.
@Conor Deane: He definitely has a demonstrable interest in how women are portrayed on the internet.
@Conor Deane: *Sunday Times.
@Conor Deane: @Conor Deane if I was hiring I’d give you the job for that suggestion alone!
hopefully the next editor won’t allow the same tired sexist articles be published as the last one did
@gjpb:
Criteria:
- A demonstrable interest in how women are portrayed on the internet
So that’s not gonna happen.
“The Edge just advertised for a new Editor and broke the internet….”
Madcap website, The Edge has published an advertisement for a new editor on ITS OWN WEBSITE and nobody can cope.
Etc etc…
Do I get the job?
@Gagsy 99: yip ,and if you are a man you will obv be paid more due to the gender pay gap.
@Gagsy 99: no gagsy you didn’t!! Why?? You didn’t document 7 places to have a hangover breakfast in Galway before you die!!
And you didn’t say ‘that’s so stoneybatter’
@Andrew Tuite: check out this GAS comment. The notions!!
@Gagsy 99: I think you need to include randomer’s comments on twitter and a list of 16 other examples of how Irish people have broken the internet to be seriously considered for the position.
Sorry.
@Gagsy 99: Don’t forget the “Social Influencers”
Was the DE always aimed at women? I thought it used to be a fun, light-hearted site for everyone. I know it’s turned into feminist.ie but I thought back in the days of Michael Freeman it wasn’t gender specific.
If I get it can I set those riveting polls? Do you wash between your toes? Have you ever swallowed a spider? Have you ever crossed the road without looking? Etc, etc…..
@WJH: You’re hired !
I. Can’t. Even.
10 celebrities who’ve had a new haircut in the last month.
Why the pint in Paddy Murphy’s in Ballywhatthefeck, Co. Whatsisface is the best one. Ever.
We asked every TD what verse of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” they preferred and the answer will leave you speechless.
Where do I sign in?
Seems to be all about women, why?
@Kerry Blake: the forked tongue of modern feninism..
@Kerry Blake: Coz their the only Species that hav’nt got ANTI-SHITEWARE on their phones.
One that can spell check and through an article beforr it’s pootsted
Was this post not advertised a few months ago?
Here’s five headlines I would want to see :”Trump succumbs to Mad Cow Disease ,”North Korean Leader quits post and joins Boy Band”
“President Putin announces Gender Reassignment Operation a complete success ”
“Michael Martin admits to ménage a trois with Regina Doherty and Leo Varadkar ,but says “we did not cross swords ”
“Joan Burton ,Kidnap Victim ,”Garda says,”Not a Hoax”
@Brian O Reilly: Cross swords lol
Must have experience creating polls
Is Micheal gone then ???
What’s the wages like?
@Eamonn Sheen: you’re paid i penny’s make up
@Rui Firmino: Hopefully some shares in Penny’s too.
Someone with a more credible taste in crisps hopefully. I’m still not sure how a hierarchy declaring Burger Bites as “shite tier” made it to publication.
- A demonstrable interest in how women are portrayed on the internet
How sexist.
I blame brexit
Kevin is out of a job and he could start straight away
Presumably a command of the English language, sentence construction and grammar are not pre-requisites. Just the ability to cut and paste from any other source, the less sensible the better.
What’s Bono doing these days? Might suit him
@Joseph Siddall: 2 rite
have your say