Homosexuality and the Scottish Periodical Press 1885-1928

Scotland’s queer history c.1880-1930 remains largely untold. While it is now widely acknowledged that discussion of queer sexualities proliferated across Europe c.1880-1930, Scottish Studies has yet to rigorously examine the ways homosexuality was discussed and represented in the Scottish press. Indeed, critics can still assume that Scottish periodicals and social discourse were broadly silent with regards to homosexuality. Answering Brian Dempsey's call for more scholarly investigation of Scotland’s periodicals to illuminate attitudes towards same-sex love and desire, this project will assess a range of titles from across Scotland, analysing how homosexuality was discussed and the extent of its coverage. Through its case studies, the project will also consider the relationship between constructions of Scottish national identity and homosexuality. In doing so, the project will make a transformative contribution to our understanding of Scotland's queer history and provide much needed contexts for examining Scotland's literary and artistic works c.1880-1930.