Famous Gay

Seven famous gay faces champion the buildings that have helped define Britain's gay history, revealing the groundbreaking events that happened there and the extraordinary people who lived and worked at these key historical sites. The Reverend Richard Cole revisits Heaven Nightclub, to reveal its hedonistic past. Mary Portas visits Shibden Hall, in Yorkshire, to discover the secret diaries of a Yorkshire heiress. Craig Revel Horwood explores Britain's drag scene at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Simon Callow tells the story of Oscar Wilde's downfall at the Old Bailey.

"Gay style actually sets trends. It’s what straight people take fashion from."–Tony Woodcock
From the New Edwardians and muscle boys to Radical Drag and Genderfuck, gay men’s dress has had a profound impact on fashion. However, it is easy to forget that, with few exceptions, gay men earlier in the century took great pains to conceal their sexual identity. Men such as Quentin Crisp, while highly influential, were far from the norm. Most gay men resorted to a number of subtle dress codes to identify themselves to other gay men – from Oscar Wilde’s famous green carnation, which was still being worn in the 1930s, through to suede shoes.