ABSTRACT
The standard reference terms outlined in Chapter 1 were often ignored by journalists and writers. In order to avoid alerting the reading public to a criminal or socially unacceptable act, writers crafted narratives in their own way and produced writing that can be difficult for the researcher to recover. This chapter illustrates types of terminology and phrasing used to describe individuals we would today regard as lesbians or gay men. The first section covers terms for female sexuality, looking in particular at the history of words such as ‘sapphist’ and ‘lesbian’. Other words and phrases considered include: ‘vile passions’, ‘Tommy’, ‘Jack’ and others. The chapter includes examples of stories recovered by looking not at who people were but at what they were doing, such as cross-dressing, cross-living or becoming female husbands. The second section covers terms describing male sexuality, such as ‘homosexual’, ‘gay’, ‘effeminate’, ‘sodomy’, ‘buggery’ and a variety of legal terms, including ‘gross indecency’ and ‘unnatural offence’. Examples highlight the dangers of researching in the criminal record due to the fact that legal terms can include a variety of sexual behaviours.
