Odd men out: Male homosexuality in Britain from Wolfenden to Gay Liberation: Revised and updated edition

by John-Pierre Joyce, Simon Callow (Introduction)

From government ministers and spies to activists, drag queens and celebrities, Odd men out charts the tumultuous history of gay men in 1950s and 60s Britain. It takes us from the earliest tentative steps towards decriminalisation to the liberation movement of the early 1970s. Along the way, it catalogues shocking repression, including laws against homosexual activity and the use of brutal medical ‘treatments’. Odd men out draws on medical data and opinion polls, broadcast recordings, theatrical productions, and extensive interviews with key players, as well as an in-depth analysis of the Wolfenden Report and the circumstances surrounding its creation. It brings to life pivotal moments in gay mens’ cultural representation, ranging across the West End and emerging writers like Joe Orton, the British film industry, the BBC, national newspapers, fashion catalogues and music magazines.

Celebrating the joy of gay lives as well as the hardships, Odd men out preserves the voices of a disappearing generation who revolutionised what it meant to be a gay man in twentieth-century Britain.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Queer, History

368 pages, Paperback

Published September 20, 2022

Reviews

[Paul Spiegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, bought this in the Tate Modern after visiting Francis Bacon. Odd Men Out brings the 50s and 60s in the United Kingdom to life … a poignant, thought provoking chronicle. Very glad I read it.

[Chris Hinchley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good primer for anyone interested in our queer pre-liberation lives. But a lot of the material is well known. I was expecting a lot more first person narrative from those men who were living their lives in the 50s & 60s.