Unidentified soldiers in Union uniforms holding cigars in each other's mouths, ca. Two unidentified Union Army soldiers, 1864 Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, 1893Ī male couple with hats and open waistcoats, ca. Doctors and psychologists, believing that homosexuality could be cured, tried methods such as hypnosis and aversion therapy.Ī middle-aged gay couple in the late 1800sĪn affectionate pair from the late 19th century Gay men were commonly seen by society as perverts who had chosen their sexuality, or as diseased individuals whose sexuality was caused by their upbringing and biology, and not something they were born with. However, the laws were selectively applied and thus were not a great threat to gay men, as long as they were discreet and avoided scandal.
The witch hunts and mass hangings began, and the number of convictions rose. During the 19th century the silence in England was broken, and police began actively fighting the 'problem' of homosexuality.
