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As pride month begins, it’s time to take a look at five lesser-known figures of LGBTQ+ empowerment in UK history.
Maureen Colquhoun
Maureen Colquhoun was the first openly lesbian UK member of parliament. She came out in 1976 and was deselected from parliament because of her sexuality. She defiantly repealed the decision and managed to cling onto her seat until 1979 when she lost it in an election.
Her campaigns for abortion pill access and for the protection of sex workers were unheard of for the time were indicative of her brave and progressive values.
Patrick Trevor-Roper
Patrick Trevor-Roper was an eye surgeon whose testimony to the government helped de-criminalize homosexuality.
In 1957, a group appointed by the government was tasked with investigating whether homosexuality should remain a crime.
Patrick Trevor-Roper was invited to testify to the committee. The openly gay Trevor-Roper presented the council with evidence that went against the common narratives at the time on homosexuality.
As a result of his testimony, the committee concluded that “homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence”. Homosexuality was fully decriminalized in 1967.
Lady Phyll
Lady Phyll is the co-founder and chief executive of UK Black Pride. UK Black Pride started off as an event in 2005 and has since developed into one of the main and most impactful arms of the pride movement. Lady Phyll is from Ghana and has used her activism as a tool to unite LGBTQ+ individuals in minority communities.
Jayne Ozanne
Jayne Ozanne is a gay evangelical Christian who has tirelessly campaigned for gay people to be included in the church. The Archbishop of Canterbury made an official apology to the queer community for the church’s treatment of them thanks to work from her initiatives.
Allan Horsfall
Allan Horsfall is often referred to as the ‘grandfather of gay rights’ in Britain. He founded the largest LGBTQ+ group in UK history: ‘The Campaign for Homosexual Equality’.
Click here if you want to read more about important figures in the UK.
