Dodger

Hi everyone (Gary, Drew, Clo, Page, Bucket, Dughlas, Albert, and anyone else). Hope you're all well and up to no good.

Thank you, @Mrsgnomie, for taking the time to read, comment, and review this story. You're quite right, what they endured lasted a lifetime. Although deeply scarred, Anthony was able to find some happiness and a successful career. I had to do this in order to make the story readable, but in real life, of course, most of these people weren't as fortunate. After leaving prison, many were denied employment, shunned by family and friends, and faced a lifetime of discrimination.

Thank you, @Valkyrie, for reading and commenting. I only discovered Polari while researching for this story and I was instantly captivated by this strange slang. I was annoyed that I had never heard of it before, and how little I knew about the plight of gay men in the post war UK. I wanted to put this right and do something, however small and insignificant, to help preserve this slang and pay tribute to the thousands who were forced to use it to avoid persecution.

Thank you, @northie for reading and commenting. I have a fascination in recent history, and this is an era that particularly interests me. I think it's important to remember what these people went through, and be aware that it's still happening in some places around the world. This looks interesting. Thank you for the heads up.

Thank you, Gary. It was a hard story to write and at times quite emotional. It was also my first attempt at writing in the present tense, which was more difficult than I expected. I wasn't sure if I got it right, but Parker Owens gave me some much needed encouragement, and so far, despite the upsetting subject, the response has been mostly positive. Your comment makes it all worthwhile. Thank you.

Thanks, @W_LI agree. I think it's important to remember the thousands of people who were persecuted for daring to love someone of the same sex, and it wasn't that long ago either. I can't imagine what it would have been like to live like that, and I have a great admiration for the real life Anthony's and Michael's. Because of my fascination with recent history and LGBTQ rights, I probably did more research than necessary, but it was a painful story to write. I would like to have added a chapter at the end and perhaps gone into more detail, but I was up against the deadline, and I desperately wanted to include it in the anthology. I'll have to leave those answers to the reader's imagination, but I like to think Michelle managed to find love an absolution.

Thank you @Bill W I’m glad you enjoyed the story. It’s important to remember that there are still places in the world where the LGBTQ community is still persecuted and forced underground.

There is very little on the internet about it, which made it difficult to research, but there are a few interesting videos on YouTube. Not much has survived I’m afraid. 😞

Thank you, @Carlos Hazdayfor reading, commenting, and reviewing this story. Your praise means a lot to me. The war story will be posted this winter.

Thank you, @George Richardfor taking the time to read and comment.

We're certainly going through some challenging times. Thank you for reading and commenting, @Daddydavek

Thank you, @Parker Owensfor your encouraging words, and for your valuable help in editing and proof reading this story.

Thank you, @Mancunianfor shedding more light on this subject. It makes sense that many of these poor people committed suicide rather than face prison or the stigma of being outed to friends and families, whose views were a lot different from today. While researching for another story based in WW2, I discovered that the UK was surprisingly accepting of gay men during the war years 1939 - 45. You could argue that the government had more important things to worry about, but the police were instructed to turn a blind eye to what they referred to as 'male vice'. In London, during the blitz, the constant threat of being killed created a 'live for today' atmosphere among young single people whatever their sexuality, and the blackouts provided ample of places for ..... well, I'm sure you can imagine what went on, and apparently, it got even worse when the Americans arrived. That's something they don't teach in school. Six years later, the same Prime Minister who gave these instructions to the police, returned with a government hell bent on eradicating homosexuality.

When homosexuality was decriminalized in the UK in 1967 it was done more out of empathy. The MP's basically decided it was wrong to punish these people, because the disadvantages of being homosexual and the shame that went with it was punishment enough. Roy Jenkins was a good man who wanted to see change. His speech, nowadays would be regarded as homophobic, but it was a true reflection of public opinion at the time. Maxwell Fyfe was a different kettle of fish entirely. He was a tough talking Scot who made his name as one of the chief prosecutors at the Nuremburg trials. Like Churchill, he advocated summary executions for captured Nazis, which was opposed by the US and Russia. After four years in opposition, Churchill became Prime Minister again in 1951 with a promise to restore family values and eradicate homosexuality. He promoted Maxwell Fyfe to Home Secretary to do the dirty work.

Thank you, @drsawzall. It's difficult to get a true understanding of what life was like in an era you never lived through. There is only so much you can learn from history books and websites, and they tend to focus on the important dates and events without any attempt to convey the general feeling at the time among the ordinary people, whatever their sexuality. I think there are a lot of people who don't realize how difficult things were in the not so distant past, and how far most of the world has progressed in a relatively short period.

Thank you, @Butcher56. The pardons came too late for 49,000 men who died before the government finally relented in 2017, fifty years after the laws were abolished.

I have to admit I had never heard of Polari until I began researching for this story. It captivated me and I'm now hooked on it. I think it's an important part of British cultural history and worth preserving.

Thank you, @Gary L. Thanks for pointing this out. It's also sad that the Scottish and Northern Irish MP's fought against the act and were allowed to opt out. Had they voted the bill wouldn't have passed. They held out until 1980 & 1982 respectively. Not that long ago.

Thank you for your comment.

Thank you @Mrsgnomiefor a thoroughly entertaining, well-written, and addictive story. Unlike some of the others, I read this in two sittings, but this was forced upon me by having to go to work.

"It would be a mistake to think we are giving a vote of confidence or congratulation to homosexuality. Those who suffer from this disability carry a great weight of loneliness, guilt and shame. The crucial question...is, should we add to those disadvantages the full rigour of the criminal law?" British Home Secretary Roy Jenkins speaking in the House of Commons during the official parliamentary debate to decriminalize homosexuality in July 1967. Scotland and Northern Ireland opt-out, but th

The story of Anthony Larkin, his struggle against injustice, and the evolution of gay rights in the UK.

I hate the stranger in the mirror too, but fifty isn't old. I think it's reasonable these days to aim for triple figures, and maybe buy one of those curved mirrors from the fun fair.

What a neat little story with a recipe thrown in for good measure. I'm not a great cook but the cake looks fabulous.

Thanks, Gary for another well-crafted story. I was planning to read two chapters a day, but ended up doing it all in one sitting, so that should tell you everything you need to know. Wyatt needed to get out of that town and Virgil was too good an opportunity to miss.