The Light of Day: The first man to come out at the dawn of gay liberation

by Christopher Stephens, Louise Radnofsky

'Miraculous. The Light of Day reclaims a forgotten hero . . . I couldn't put it down' - Will Tosh

'Sir, we are homosexuals . . .'

So began the letter penned by Roger Butler and sent to several British newspaper editors - some of whom were so shocked they thought it was a hoax - in June 1960. Writing such a letter seven years before the decriminalisation of homosexuality was a radical and dangerous move. It was a risk that set a major milestone in the fight for gay rights - one that has been almost entirely forgotten.

This is the story of the first man to come out voluntarily, using his own name, to the entire British public, a decade before activists started petitioning gay people everywhere to 'come out proud'. Taking us through a
criminalised underworld of gay pubs, parties and activist meetings, The Light of Day charts how Roger helped bring about the legalisation of homosexuality, but soon found himself marginalised from the movement he kickstarted after losing his sight in his early 30s.

Enter Christopher - a student asked to visit and read to an old, blind man at the beginning of a new century. As their intergenerational friendship bloomed, Roger came to trust Christopher with his most precious memoirs of his revolutionary past, locked away in his home. After Roger's death, Christopher opened a series of unsent letters, left in a pink folder, addressed to him. They contained Roger's final wish, for Christopher finally to bring his remarkable, hidden story into the light of day.

'At times gripping, at times very personal, this remains an important piece of objective history, faithfully recorded and beautifully written' - Matthew Parris

Genres: LGBT

400 pages, Hardcover

Published May 22, 2025

Reviews

[Ditte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5

The Light of Day: The First Man to Come Out at the Dawn of Gay Liberation tells the story of Roger Butler, a British gay man and activist who came out publicly in 1960, 7 years before it was legal to be homosexual in England. I'd never heard of Roger Butler before this book and I was surprised, and saddened at how he's largely been forgotten when his story is one that should have a prominent place in queer history.

The book tells Roger Butler's life story as well as some of Christopher Stephens's. Stephens is both the co-author and was a dear friend of Butler's later in life when, as a uni student, Stephens was asked to help read to Butler, a then blind man in his 60s. The focus is definitely on Butler's story though, as it should be.

The Light of Day is mainly told through diaries, letters, and writings Rogers left behind, as well as Stephens's stories from their time together.

Soon after Butler started attending university, he realized he was gay and shortly afterwards, he became part of a queer activism group in London. Coming out publicly in 1960 was a feat of incredible bravery and done in the belief that to achieve not only tolerance but acceptance, respect, and equal legal standing, the public needed to see gay men as actual real people and not merely some vague, terrible notion of immorality and evil.

Unfortunately, two failed eye surgeries to heal his lifelong bad sight turned Butler fully blind in his mid-thirties. He struggled with navigating a world not built for disabled people, and became more and more isolated. He was no longer part of the queer activism group who seemed to have largely forgotten about his brave contribution, and as his few close friends started dying, Butler's isolation became greater. During this time, he turned to writing in his house in Oxford - the best he could when he was unable to read back what he'd written. That continued until he met Stephens who brought companionship and love back in Butler's life in the years before his death in 2011.

This book was a fascinating, brave, emotional, and often sad story. Though there were elements of love and lightness, I definitely found myself full on sobbing more than once.

The Light of Day's a powerful biography of a man whose name should be one we all know. Roger Butler deserves to be in history books and I'm very glad to have gotten to know about him.

[Stuart Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book and such an important story. Fascinating to learn about the experiences of someone who managed to cleverly defy the law before homosexuality was decriminalised and then read about their experiences with blindness later in life. Cleverly woven together with snippets of Christopher’s own story too.

[Chris L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Light of Day' puts Roger Butler into his proper place as a gay rights pioneer and advocate. Butler came out in the British press when so many gay men were afraid of the repercussions. Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky have created a hybrid work: part biography of Butler and part memoir of Stephens' relationship with Butler. Stephens grew close to an older Butler, and he connects his life to what he learned from Butler. I found 'The Light of Day' a fascinating and engrossing read. It is maddening though that so much of gay history has been kept from us. Everyone should know about Roger Butler, and this is a wonderful way of introducing Roger Butler to readers.

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a rare pleasure to read a book like this, written from the heart, a true labour of love. It's poignant, heartbreaking and heartwarming, and I applaud the honesty and integrity of the authors.
This is a book about a man who started a revolution. He didn't use guns and bullets, and the only armour he wore was his own belief in what he was fighting for: homosexual equality. His only weapon: words. Words that spoke up for homosexual rights at a time when homophobia was not just rife but sex between two men - even in the privacy of their own home - was an imprisonable offence. Homosexual love had to be hidden, lied about.
Roger Butler started the ball rolling for all the campaigns for gay rights that followed but his name is almost forgotten.
The book is at its best when Christopher Stephens shares memories of his time with Roger, in Oxford, when he was old and blind. A powerful evocation of friendship and love.

[Trevor Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers.

This is a book of two narratives; the first is an account of the life of Roger Butler, oneof the first gay activisits in the UK, The second is an account of Christopher Stephens who befriended Butler at the end of his life.

Butler's life is the more interesting; I'm not sure why Stephens' life is included apart from the fact of it being a 'compare and contrast' exercise. And, frankly, it would have a been a very thin book otherwise.

The one thing I took away from Butler's life was admiration as he overcame blindness to live, as far as he was able, a fulfilling life including taking a history degree at Oxford.

It is what is left unsaid that makes this book unsatisfactory. Butler's parents are a remote couple. Nothing is said about how they felt about their son's homosexuality. Butler seems to have had supportive colleagues at the upmarket estate agents where he worked in London, but this aspect of his life is glossed over.

[liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so well done Christopher!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written story of the life of Roger Butler, the first man in Britain to come out as gay, and his friendship with Christopher Stephens, whose own coming out Butler paved the way for half a century later. An effective mix of much-needed history and moving memoir.