Queer British History – 1714 to 1785

Discover the hidden stories and evolving identities of Queer Britain in this insightful film featuring Dr Declan Kavanagh of the University of Kent.

Dr Kavanagh looks at the history of the language of LGBTQ+, in particular the term ‘queer’ in its very recent usage and how the language of descriptors for these communities has been influenced. Dr Kavanagh draws our attention to the important work exploring these concepts that the esteemed French historian of ideas Michel Foucault was studying as part of his research. This new film examine some of the historic legal terminology that, in addition to marginalising peoples’ sexualities and discriminating against them, also carried with it moral judgements that affected individuals and groups at the time, and subsequently has impacted how we trace these histories.

Please be aware that some of the terms that Dr Kavanagh uses that are part of the historical terminology and were used in legal and societal contexts may seem upsetting to some people today; however, he is using them to be accurate in his explanation of the past.