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Editor's note
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It was 50 years ago today that royal assent was given to the Sexual Offences Act 1967, the first time since the 16th century in England and Wales that sex between men was partially decriminalised. The word “partially” is crucial: British homosexuals and bisexuals had to wait years for many other basic rights and protections, and some are still pending. Nonetheless, this was a radical change that would transform millions of lives. Without it, many of us today would be living in fear of blackmail, incarceration, and worse.
Last night’s BBC drama Against the Law told the true story of Peter Wildeblood, who was imprisoned for homosexual offences in the 1950s and later testified before the Wolfenden Committee. In his review, Dominic James explains how Wildeblood’s story tells us how the insecurity of the postwar British establishment drove it to crack down on gay men as never before. But for all the distance travelled since then, the fight isn’t over yet. Sen Raj describes how Britain’s laws on sex outside the norm were always animated not by moral concern, but
by visceral
disgust, and that on many sexual matters, that same disgust still rules.
Meanwhile, our latest episode of The Anthill is live – and it’s all about exploration. We interview academics whose research takes them to remote corners of land, sea and space. Listen in to hear about the search for habitable exoplanets, deep ocean trenches and the heights of the Himalayas. And elsewhere, we explore a new word that’s suddenly emerged: “overfat”. According to a recent study, it describes 90% of men in developed countries and 50% of children. If you don’t know your “overfat” from your “overweight”, James Brown is
here to help. He also gives us his verdict on the best way to measure body fat.
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Andrew Naughtie
International Editor
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Top story
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A dangerous romance in the 1950s.
BBC Pictures
Dominic Janes, Keele University
The story of the trial of Peter Wildeblood.
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Special: 50 years of gay rights
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Adam Vaughan, University of Southampton
Decriminalisation changed the way homosexuality and gay culture were portrayed on screen.
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Michael Lovelock, Cardiff Metropolitan University
The media has the power to influence the nation - so why are we letting it promote blatant homophobia?
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Senthorun Raj, Keele University
Even the Wolfenden report cited the need to protect the public from that which disgusted them.
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Kim McGuire, University of Central Lancashire
Are gay rights a matter of protecting privacy, or sexual freedom itself?
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Science + Technology
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Will de Freitas, The Conversation; Annabel Bligh, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Paul Keaveny, The Conversation
In this episode of The Anthill podcast we are off exploring: land, sea and space.
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Richard Faragher, University of Brighton
A study in mice shows that transplantation of healthy stem cells into the brain's hypothalamus can boost lifespan considerably.
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Peter Theobald, Cardiff University
How much protection will the Halo system give drivers?
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Health + Medicine
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James Brown, Aston University
A new study finds that 90% of men are overfat. But by what measure?
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Su Holmes, University of East Anglia
Netflix's new film To The Bone simplifies the social causes of anorexia.
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Politics + Society
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Gavin Barrett, University College Dublin
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn insists the two are inextricably linked. He's wrong.
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Zulqarnain Rashid, University of Dundee
Disabled parking? Check. Disabled toilets? Check. But what about accessible supermarket shelves?
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Jeffrey Lazarus, Georgia State University; David McLennan, Meredith College; Rachel Caufield, Drake University
Mitch McConnell gets a win, and the Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare will be debated in the Senate.
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Environment + Energy
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Karin Alton, University of Sussex; Francis L. W. Ratnieks, University of Sussex
Garden pollinators can turn their noses up at the flowers human eyes find most beautiful.
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Mark Maslin, UCL
Larger brains lead to a broader social network.
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Arts + Culture
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Matthew Alford, University of Bath
The Department of Defence and the CIA have big seats in the editing suite.
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Matt Hills, University of Huddersfield
Showrunner Chris Chibnall has been praised for the courage of his vision. But casting a female lead is very much on trend at present.
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Featured events
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Queensgate, Huddersfield, Kirklees, HD1 3DH, United Kingdom — University of Huddersfield
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Main Arts Building, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, United Kingdom — Bangor University
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EM G.21, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH144AS, United Kingdom — Heriot-Watt University
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Room 3.08 Scott Russell Building, Research and Enterprise Services, , Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH144AS, United Kingdom — Heriot-Watt University
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