Let's Get Quizzical: LGBTQ+ History

February was LGBTQ+ History Month and we did a series of blogs about the history of the community in the UK, looking at the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. But how much do you remember? It’s time to put on your thinking caps and give our quiz a go! Answers at the end…

QUESTIONS
 

1. What year was the first case of AIDS recorded in the UK?

a) 1980

b) 1981

c) 1982

d) 1983

 

2. In 1995, a group of concerned parents formed which charity?

a) Giants

b) Unicorns

c) Phoenix

d) Mermaids

 

3. Who was the first gay man to win Big Brother in 2001?

a) Craig Phillips

b) Brian Dowling

c) Anthony Hutton

d) Pete Bennett

 

4. What historic gay building was the first to be given a Grade II listing?

a) Dalston Superstore

b) Admiral Duncan

c) G-A-Y

d) The Vauxhall Tavern
 

5. Who opened the UK’s first specialist HIV ward?

a) Princess Diana

b) Sir Elton John

c) Dame Elizabeth Taylor

d) Bono
 

6. In 1994, ex-members of OutRage! formed a new activist group called what?

a) Lesbian Superheroes of London

b) London X-(wo)Men

c) London Lesbian Avengers 

d) The Lesbian Power Rangers
 

7. True or False: Homosexuality was considered a mental disorder until 1992?

True

False
 

8. What LGBTQ+ group was co-formed at the end of the 80s by Sir Ian McKellen?

a) Stonewall

b) MindOut

c) OutRage!

d) All Out
 

9. What year did gay marriage become legal in the UK?

a) 1993

b) 2001

c) 2009

d) 2014
 

10. Meghan Markle chose Laverne Cox to be the cover star of what famous magazine in 2019?

a) Elle Magazine

b) British Vogue

c) Tatler

d) Cosmopolitan

 

ANSWERS

1. The answer is b) 1981!

The first case of AIDS in the UK was recorded in 1981, when a 49 year old man was admitted to hospital in London. He died just ten days later.

2. The answer is d) Mermaids!

In 1995, a group of concerned parents with gender nonconforming children came together and Mermaids was founded. The group aimed to support transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children, young people and their familes. Since its inception it’s become one the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charities. 

3. The answer is b) Brian Dowling!

The second series of Big Brother hit the screens in 2001 and people became enamoured with gay contestant Brian Dowling. His win has been hailed as a representation of shifting views in public opinion.

4. The answer is d) The Vauxhall Tavern!

The Vauxhall Tavern was given Grade II in 2015. It gained its reputation as a gay venue by World War Two, when it began to host drag shows, and to this day is still in full swing, hosting shows, music, performances, stand-up, and more from every area of the LGBTQ+ community.

5. The answer is a) Princess Diana!

The Broderip Ward was officially opened in 1987 by Diana, Princess of Wales. There was some controversy when she opened the ward as she made a point of not wearing protective gloves or a mask when she shook hands with the patients - showing compassion and understanding, not fear and ignorance.

6. The answer is c) London Lesbian Avengers!

The London branch of the Lesbian Avengers (originally formed in New York) was a direct action group who focused on issues vital to lesbian survival and visibility through protests, demontrastions and radical stunts.

7. The answer is True!

It wasn’t until 1992, and the publication of ICD-10 that homosexuality was removed from the list of mental disorders, explicity stating that the sexual orientation by itself is not considered a disorder. The changes were seen to reflect both emerging human rights standards, and the lack of empirical evidence supporting the previous claims.

8. The answer is a) Stonewall!

After Sir Ian McKellen publicly came out on BBC Radio 3, he went on to co-found Stonewall - a group renowned for its campaigning and lobbying for LGBTQ+ rights. It was named after the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City’s Greenwich Village, and from the outset looked to prevent attacks on lesbians, gay and bi people from ever occurring again.

9. The answer is d) 2014!

Almost ten years after the Civil Partnership Act, gay marriage was finally legalised in the UK. Peter McGraith and David Cabreza from north London - who had been partners for 17 years - became the first couple in the UK to get married, at one minute past midnight!

10. The answer is b) British Vogue!

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex was asked to be guest editor of British Vogue in 2019. She chose fifteen inspiring women to appear on the cover of the September issue, one of them being Laverne Cox, who became the first openly transgender woman to appear on the cover since its launch in 1916.