In 1895, author Oscar Wilde brought forth a libel suit against the Marquess of Queensbury for accusing him of homosexuality and having relations with Sir Alfred Douglas – allegations which were true. When the suit was dropped, Queensbury retaliated with charges of gross indecency, which was essentially a British criminal legal term for being a homosexual. Wilde received two years of hard labor, but spent several months doing time in prison. During this time, evident by numerous laws that criminalized it, homosexuality was heavily looked down upon. Many individuals, like Wilde, were subject to heavy scrutiny and isolated from the rest of society, simply because of who they loved. This kind of “otherness” disparages people who love another of the same sex and is an attitude that is evident around the world still today (though some societies are becoming more accepting).
History.com Editors. “Oscar Wilde Trial.” HISTORY, 7 May 2018, www.history.com/articles/oscar-wilde-trial.
"Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas, 1893" is licensed under Public Domain