Discreet gay encounters stoke-on-trent

Introduction

In terms of gender self and masculine expression, the eighteenth century was an important time of transition. While in , there was a certain amount of tolerance for effeminacy, and for bisexuality, by the understanding of what it meant to be a man was considerably more rigid, closely policed, and what we might call ‘heteronormative’ – treating heterosexual desire, and the presentation of that crave, as the default mode of being. What I want to show you here is a selection of objects in our collection which represent the changing attitude towards male sexuality throughout the eighteenth century, taking a roughly chronological view of the most significant shifts and themes. Using these objects as a starting point, I’m going to give you an overview of how male homosexuality, effeminacy and so-called sexual deviancy were practiced and perceived in this period. In this first blog post, we’ll watch broadly at male sexuality in the context of popular culture, particularly fashion and the theatre. This will be followed by a second post which looks more closely