Out and Proud

[nezza]

(NB: No nasty remarks please)

What if Jeremy Thorpe had come out as homosexual after the legalisation of homosexuality and became the UK's first prominent homosexual politician. How could british history have been different?

I know this thread could cause controversy but lets try and keep it civilised.

 

[jakewilson]

I could see him politically surviving for a while after about 1973, but not before. I don't think that being gay was much of a problem for the Liberals' base at that point, but I'm not an expert or even a Briton.

 

[jakewilson]

It would certainly help his legacy, he'd be held in honor rather than contempt nowadays. I mean, it would have really groundbreaking.

 

[Scientist Shan]

I could see him politically surviving for a while after about 1973, but not before. I don't think that being gay was much of a problem for the Liberals' base at that point, but I'm not an expert or even a Briton.

The Liberals electoral base at that time would have been in rural areas of Scotland, Wales and south-west England.

All socially conservative areas.

As Thorpe was only narrowly reelected at the 1970 general election he would likely have been defeated if he'd come out as a homosexual.

Though some voters might have respected Thorpe for being honest many others would have been put off either by the homosexuality itself or by Thorpe having an presumably sham marriage.

If Thorpe had come out as a homosexual there would have been long term butterflies on British politicians and the Liberal party in particular.

For example the homophobic dog whistling the Liberals successfully engaged in at the 1982 Bermondsey byelection against a gay Labour candidate.

 

[oldironside]

Well, speaking as a Brit who remembers the 70s, I can say without equivocation that it would have been political suicide. It was a different world then and at that time there was only a very small sliver of society who were out.

To give an example of what would have happened one only has to look at the Bermondsey byelection of 1983. An openly gay Labour candidate was on the receiving end of the most vicious smear campaign since the Tories paid kids to run around Wolverhampton in the 60s with leaflets saying: If you want a n***** for a neighbour, vote Liberal or Labour.

And the Liberal candidate who was responsible for this character assasination? None other than Mr Simon Hughes, who is egregious, snivelling hypocrite distinguished only by the slime trail he has left through British politics during the last 30 years.

Togive an idea of what it was like to be openly gay in the UK at that time, I present Mr Tom Robinson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHG2LJGfEdw

 

[Hollis Hurlbut]

Suppose he comes out as a bisexual in the early seventies. He remains married to his wife (as he has IRL), which somewhat blunts the attacks. Nevertheless, he must weather an initial tornado of controversy. A significant minority of Liberals are inclined to oust him, but their efforts fail, because a somewhat larger number of Liberals are inclined to showcase their tolerance. The Norman Scott scandal is butterflied, since a non-closeted Thorpe is not vulnerable to blackmail. He is not defeated in 1979, and remains party leader for several years longer. Of course he never defeats Thatcher, but he leads the Liberals to moderately greater success than in OTL, and becomes well known as a champion of human rights and social liberalism. He retires in the mid-nineties, and is the subject of a biopic starring Joseph Fiennes.

 

[Hollis Hurlbut]

It would make bisexuality a much more prominent phenomenon. There have been very few high-profile male bisexuals, particularly in government.

 

[Bee]

I lived in GB in the 60s and 70s too. It would have been electoral suicide for the Liberal Party if Thorpe continued as party leader. It would have been handled delicately -- he would have stepped down 'voluntarily'.

Thereafter, there would have been a public debate and Thorpe himself could have been a high-profile spokesman on that specific single issue. He might even have been able to bring about some real progress. However, I can't see the public, or the party, just ignoring his sexuality and accepting him as the Liberal spokesman on e.g., the economy or foreign policy.