A Very English Scandal

[horseshoes]

Would the word gay have been used at that time? (In the context of homosexuality).

[murraymints]

don't think so.. it was homosexual or ***ter from memory !!

[Flonska]

Don't forget the *

[jno]

early 1960s, so yes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay#Shift_to_specifically_homosexual

[NoMercy]

They were referred to as "queer" too.

[tonyav]

Poofters, benders, queers but not gay.

[horseshoes]

I must admit that I didn't hear "gay" in that context for MANY years later than the 60s.

[Prudie]

It may have been used within the gay community but not commonly known by the general public. A fellow female student with me in the mid 70s was called Gay and it had no connotations at all as far as I remember other than being her name and meaning bright and happy.

[Smaggyn]

What different words can you offer?)

[10ClarionSt]

Shirtlifter.

[DTCwordfan]

plenty......and there's a load of jokes from that time pertaining to Thorpe.

[horseshoes]

I'm fascinated that Hugh Grant looks so like Jeremy Thorpe. Who would have thought it?

[tonyav]

Yeah, like keep away from him he's right Jeremy.

[EDDIE51]

Reminds me of the joke going round at the time.
Jeremy Thorpe goes to the Doctors and says ''Doctor, I've got a splinter in my bum''
The Doctor replies '' I'm surprised you haven't got the whole bloody cabinet in there.''

[DTCwordfan]

"Join the Liberal Party and widen the circle of your friends," comes to mind.

[horseshoes]

I was wanting to post a Harry and Paul "is he queer" sketch and although Ive found them, I can't get a link. Perhaps they might offend someone, so might be just as well.

[Caribeing]

Hugh Grant has encaptured the look but decided not to watch boring politcal scandal we all know the story, Midsomer Murders more exciting!

[carolegif]

I must admit, When I heard it said, the first thing I thought was that it wasn’t used at that time! I only remember ‘gay’ being used in the 1980’s during the AIDS epidemic.

[andy-hughes]

That may be a little poetic licence at work there - I don't think the term was in common usage at that time.

Similarly, in the Krays film, Reggie is supposed to have said to Francis, Ron's fiancée, "I'm a homosexual ..." - and no man would have said that outright to any woman in those times - certainly not an East End hard man!

[Jackdaw33]

I can remember 'gay' being used in the late 60s. I had to ask what it meant.