Homosexuality and the Law

In 1895, Oscar Wilde was taken to trial and convicted of ‘gross indecency’, a law used to persecute homosexuality (especially when the actual act could not be proven). The case sent shockwaves through society and became front page news. It also marked the end of the decadent Aesthetic Movement, of which Wilde had become the self-promoted figurehead. This guide will explore how homosexuality was viewed in the late-nineteenth century and look at how Wilde’s private life impacted his work and public life.

Terminology

• Aestheticism: An art movement in the late-nineteenth century which promoted the aesthetic value of literature, music, and the arts over their socio-political functions.
• Fin-de-siècle: The end of a century, used especially to define the last years of the nineteenth century.
• Libel: A published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation.
• Victorian: Relating to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) or a person who lived in the Victorian era.

Key Dates & Events

• 1890 - Oscar Wilde publishes his controversial novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
• 1891 - Oscar Wilde begins an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas.
• 1892 - The premiere of Lady Windermere’s Fan.
• 1895 - The premiere of An Ideal Husband in January. After Wilde’s arrest, his name was removed from all playbills and programmes.
• 1895 - The Importance of Being Earnest premieres on February 14.
• 1895 - The Marquess of Queensberry leaves defamatory calling card for Oscar Wilde at his club on February 18.
• 1895 - The libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry begins on April 3 at the Old Bailey.
• 1895 - Oscar Wilde is sent to prison on May 25.
• 1897 - Oscar Wilde is released from prison and travels to Europe.
• 1900 - Oscar Wilde dies on November 30, aged 46. He is buried in Paris.
• 2017 - Oscar Wilde is one of over 50,000 men posthumously pardoned for historic convictions related to homosexual acts in the UK.