10 Important LGBTQ+ Figures From History You Should Definitely Know About!

9. Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde is known as one of the most influential playwrights of the 1800s, and his most recognized work is probably The Picture of Dorian Gray, about a man who sells his soul to remain young and beautiful. But what some people might not know about Wilde is that he was arrested in 1895 for “gross indecency” after being called out by his lover’s father, public accusing him of sodomy. Wilde sued the man for libel and a lengthy trial ensued, revealing details about Wilde’s personal history and his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas. 

He was forced to drop the case, and soon he was arrested for the “gross indecency” charge. While Wilde’s friends told him to flee, his mother told him to stay and fight, and so he did. He pled not guilty and managed to eloquently avoid incriminating himself enough that the trial couldn’t reach a verdict. There was a final trial later, and Wilde was convicted and given two years of hard labor, a punishment many saw as inadequate. 

Though initially he was not allowed anything in prison, he eventually was given pen, paper, and various reading materials. Throughout his time there, he wrote a 50,000-word letter to Lord Douglas, recounting his own life and their time together, which was later published in The Letters of Oscar Wilde. After his trial, Oscar Wilde’s life went somewhat downhill until his death. But no matter what happened, he continued to write about his experiences and never once hid who he was. In the 1800s, that had to have been extra difficult, but Oscar Wilde never faltered.