Antony Grey
Encyclopedia
Antony Grey was a leading English
lesbian
, gay
, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT
) rights activist. He lived with his partner, Eric Thompson, for 50 years after first meeting in 1960. They had been together since before homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK in 1967, which was thanks in part to Grey's action. The two became civil partners in 2005, on the second day that civil partnerships were legal. Grey was credited by Lord Arran
to have “done more than any single man to bring this social problem to the notice of the public”.
, Cheshire
, the son of Alex Wright, a chartered accountant, and half-Syrian mother, Gladys Rihan. Grey read history at Magdalene College, Cambridge
.
, where he claimed to have learned the lobbying techniques he later applied so successfully. He remained there for 12 years.
In 1958, Grey starting voluntary work for the Homosexual Law Reform Society
(HLRS). He became the Society's Honorary Treasurer in 1960 and its Secretary by the end of 1962. At this time also he became Secretary of the Albany Trust
. Because family reasons made it impossible to use his own name (Edgar Wright) in the posts, he chose to be known as Antony Grey because of his conviction that there are no entirely black or white issues in life.
Grey campaigned tirelessly for the law reforms advocated by the Wolfenden report
(1957), wrote many articles, made numerous speeches to interested groups, lobbied MPs, and organised action to promote the passage of the (Arran
/Abse
) Sexual Offences Bill
through Parliament until it became law in 1967.
In 1970 he became Secretary of the Sexual Law Reform Society - successor to the HLRS - and was Director of the Albany Trust from 1971 to 1977. He remained a patron until his death.
Following his retirement from the Albany Trust in 1977, he was involved in counselling and training work and was for some years a member of the executive committee of the British Association for Counselling
. He was also an executive committee member of the Defence of Literature and the Arts Society (now the Campaign Against Censorship
) and of the National Council for Civil Liberties (now Liberty
) Grey appeared in the BBC Radio 4
documentary The BBC and the Closet in 2008.
His papers are in the custody of the Hall-Carpenter Archives
.
Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2007, for the 40th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, he became Stonewall
Hero of the Year. In his acceptance speech, he said:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual, and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
(LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) rights activist. He lived with his partner, Eric Thompson, for 50 years after first meeting in 1960. They had been together since before homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK in 1967, which was thanks in part to Grey's action. The two became civil partners in 2005, on the second day that civil partnerships were legal. Grey was credited by Lord Arran
Arthur Gore, 8th Earl of Arran
Arthur Gore was a Conservative whip in the House of Lords. His father was Arthur Gore, 6th Earl of Arran. He was the father of Arthur Gore, 9th Earl of Arran....
to have “done more than any single man to bring this social problem to the notice of the public”.
Early life
Grey was born in WilmslowWilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, the son of Alex Wright, a chartered accountant, and half-Syrian mother, Gladys Rihan. Grey read history at Magdalene College, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
Career
From 1949, he worked for the British Iron & Steel Federation, later merged into British SteelBritish Steel
British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
, where he claimed to have learned the lobbying techniques he later applied so successfully. He remained there for 12 years.
In 1958, Grey starting voluntary work for the Homosexual Law Reform Society
Homosexual Law Reform Society
The Homosexual Law Reform Society was an organisation that campaigned in the United Kingdom for changes in the laws that criminalised homosexual relations between men.- History :...
(HLRS). He became the Society's Honorary Treasurer in 1960 and its Secretary by the end of 1962. At this time also he became Secretary of the Albany Trust
Albany Trust
The Albany Trust was founded in the United Kingdom as a registered charity in May 1958 to complement the Homosexual Law Reform Society . It takes its name from The Albany, in Piccadilly, London, where J.B...
. Because family reasons made it impossible to use his own name (Edgar Wright) in the posts, he chose to be known as Antony Grey because of his conviction that there are no entirely black or white issues in life.
Grey campaigned tirelessly for the law reforms advocated by the Wolfenden report
Wolfenden report
The Report of the Departmental Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution was published in Britain on 4 September 1957 after a succession of well-known men, including Lord Montagu, Michael Pitt-Rivers and Peter Wildeblood, were convicted of homosexual offences.-The committee:The...
(1957), wrote many articles, made numerous speeches to interested groups, lobbied MPs, and organised action to promote the passage of the (Arran
Arthur Gore, 8th Earl of Arran
Arthur Gore was a Conservative whip in the House of Lords. His father was Arthur Gore, 6th Earl of Arran. He was the father of Arthur Gore, 9th Earl of Arran....
/Abse
Leo Abse
Leopold Abse was a Welsh lawyer, politician and gay rights campaigner. He was a Welsh Labour Member of Parliament for nearly 30 years, and was noted for promoting private member's bills to decriminalise male homosexual relations and liberalise the divorce laws...
) Sexual Offences Bill
Sexual Offences Act 1967
The Sexual Offences Act 1967 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom . It decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men, both of whom had to have attained the age of 21. The Act applied only to England and Wales and did not cover the Merchant Navy or the Armed Forces...
through Parliament until it became law in 1967.
In 1970 he became Secretary of the Sexual Law Reform Society - successor to the HLRS - and was Director of the Albany Trust from 1971 to 1977. He remained a patron until his death.
Following his retirement from the Albany Trust in 1977, he was involved in counselling and training work and was for some years a member of the executive committee of the British Association for Counselling
British Association for Counselling
The British Association for Counselling grew from the Standing Conference for the Advancement of Counselling, a grouping of organisations inaugurated in 1970 at the instigation of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations...
. He was also an executive committee member of the Defence of Literature and the Arts Society (now the Campaign Against Censorship
Campaign Against Censorship
The Campaign Against Censorship is a Fareham, England-based political pressure group that opposes censorship and promotes freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. The group was formerly named the Defence of Literature and the Arts Society and was founded in 1968 to assist writers and artists...
) and of the National Council for Civil Liberties (now Liberty
Liberty (pressure group)
Liberty is a pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its formal name is the National Council for Civil Liberties . Founded in 1934 by Ronald Kidd and Sylvia Crowther-Smith , the group campaigns to protect civil liberties and promote human rights...
) Grey appeared in the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
documentary The BBC and the Closet in 2008.
Death
Antony Grey died on 30 April 2010 at the King Edward VII hospital in London, after a long fight against leukaemia. He expressed specific wishes that his body should be cremated and his ashes scattered without any religious ceremony or memorial service.His papers are in the custody of the Hall-Carpenter Archives
Hall-Carpenter Archives
The Hall–Carpenter Archives are named after the authors Marguerite Radclyffe Hall and Edward Carpenter...
.
Awards
In 1998, Grey was awarded the Pink PaperPink Paper
The Pink Paper is a UK publication covering gay and lesbian issues. Founded in 1987 as a newspaper, since June 2009 it has been available only on the Internet....
Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2007, for the 40th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, he became Stonewall
Stonewall (UK)
Stonewall is a lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity in the United Kingdom named after the Stonewall Inn of Stonewall riots fame. Now the largest gay equality organization not only in the UK but in Europe, it was formed in 1989 by political activists and others lobbying against section 28 of the...
Hero of the Year. In his acceptance speech, he said:
The road to homosexual emancipation which I and a few others embarked upon following the Wolfenden Report has been a long and arduous one. But now here we are, and we can be thankful for what has been achieved. At least, we are able to celebrate our identities in this magnificent building, instead of being thrown off the top of it for being who we are – as some of our enemies would like to happen. But the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, and ours is a never-ending struggle not just for our own rights, but for human rights.
External links
- anticant's arena - personal blog
- anticant's burrow - personal blog
- Antony Grey: campaigner for homosexual rights - Times obituary
- Antony Grey obituary - Guardian obituary
- Leading gay rights pioneer Antony Grey dies, aged 82 - Pink Paper obituary
- Comment: Peter Tatchell pays tribute to a giant of the gay movement - Pink News
- Grey's elegy by Matthew ParrisMatthew ParrisMatthew Francis Parris is a UK-based journalist and former Conservative politician.-Early life and family:...
- Times (scroll down) - Early Gay Rights Advocate Dies - The Advocate
- Last Word - BBC Radio 4