I dont buy the whole 'gay people were alone' argument Fellowes uses. sure there weren't any marriages or openly gay people holding hands down the street, but I'm guessing they had down-low sex lives, trysts in back ally clubs, or secret rendezvous. confirmed bachelors, or "brothers" They did have lives, even if they were kept 100% secret
GAY LIFE FROM THE VICTORIAN PERIOD THROUGH THE ROARING 20s
Though I don’t claim to be an expert, I am a bit of a History buff when it comes to gay culture, important figures, and movements. And have done some research into gay life in this period to better understand the mindset of Thomas and perhaps Jimmy from Downton Abbey.
In the late 1800s the Aesthetic art movement came into being, in which authors and artists celebrated “art for art’s sake”, reveled in the splendor of all that was lush and beautiful and greatly admired the culture of Ancient Greece (including love between men and the relationship between scholar and student). Though this group of artists were not necessarily homosexual, many of the writers who were part of it (like Oscar Wilde) put subliminal or a subtext of homosexual desires within their work. The most famous example is Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray in which the artist character’s interest in Dorian’s beauty seems more than just a painter admiring his subject, and his flamboyant dandy friend Lord Henry Wotton (loosely based on Wilde’s own persona), encourages Dorian’s hedonism, moral corruption and pursuit of beauty later on in the story.
Like Wilde some gay men during the time referred to themselves as “dandy gentlemen” and dressed flamboyantly in colorful suits or luxurious velvet, with flamboyant flowers in their buttonholes, sometimes they even wore old-fashioned stockings and slippers. Many of these dandies would take younger men under their wings and mentor them in the arts for an exchange of sexual favors or romantic intimacy. Men were also able to show more affection in public than they were in later times, walking with their arms linked, kisses on the cheek, etc., because such affection was not limited to only gay men, but in platonic relationships between straight men as well. There wasn’t as much of a stigma associated with tenderness between men in those times.
But after the very public and widely covered trial in which Wilde was tried for sodomy and gross indecency, and then later given the maximum sentence (Two years of hard labor, which was essentially a death sentence for a wealthy gentleman not used to labor, yet Wilde did survive it due to his physical and mental strength. But he died in poverty a few years later.), it served as warning for other dandies and gay men to stay guarded, and act on their love only in secret and the privacy of their own homes.
Wilde was one of the bravest gay figures in History, knowing very well that in conservative Victorian society, he would undoubtedly be punished to the full extent of the law, he never wavered in his belief that love is love, and not only limited to heterosexuals. And some of his most thought provoking and famous quotes came from his trial: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” He’s been the person I most admire in history since I was a teen because of his courage and genius.
In the early 1900s into the 1920s (and beyond, but I’m focusing on this period) there were few places men could safely love each other, due to the fear of being arrested and jailed as Wilde was. But there were a few situations in which gay love was more convenient than others, one of these being at university where young men could meet likeminded peers (see such novels as Brideshead Revisited and Maurice), among soldiers and sailors in both World Wars (homosexual activity was so rampant in the navy during WWII that they hired men to entrap/seduce to out such men, but the job became too popular if you get my drift and they quickly did away with the practice), among servants or servants and their employers in large estates (again see/read Maurice and the forerunner series to Downton Abbey, Upstairs Downstairs), and in the all-male brothels that housed “rent boys” (brought up in the Wilde trial). In fact on Upstairs Downstairs whenever the family would visit the country estate they’d show a group of effeminate footmen gossiping with one another, and flirting with Edward (the footman from the London home), who being straight, was oblivious to their advances and just thought they were being friendly. The only daughter of the house even dated a bohemian poet who had issues with his homosexuality and would verbally attack his valet in a haze of unfounded paranoia that his servant assumed him to be homosexual. Downton Abbey lifted the Duke/footman story from the pilot directly from Upstairs Downstairs, in which the gay footman Alfred was caught embracing a rich suitor of the daughter. Though in UD Alfred ended up running away with the gentleman and in DA Thomas was never caught.
In the late 1920s and into the 1930s drag queen and camp culture was becoming prevalent in London (and especially in the cabarets of Berlin and the “pansy clubs” of New York City and Harlem). There was a famous case called “Lady Austin’s Camp Boys” in 1933. In a private ballroom in west London, 60 men were arrested in a police raid after undercover officers observed them dancing, kissing, and having sexual relations in full drag. Like Wilde, “Lady Austin” was defiant and said, “There is nothing wrong in who we are. You call us nancies and bum boys but before long our cult will be allowed in this country.” Reminds me of Thomas’, “I am not foul,” line. Gay pride didn’t suddenly come into being with Stonewall in the 60s, it has been around for longer than most people think.
In 1920 the publisher of a magazine called Link and three of it’s subscribers were charged and sentenced for placing men-seeking-men personal ads within the publication. Men would often refer to themselves in code, saying they admired the writing of Wilde and Whitman, had artistic minds or a fondness for interior decorating. Stereotypical gay traits we also not a modern advent as one can observe from dandy culture, the drag balls of the 20s and 30s, a love for visual and performing arts, diva worship of famous actresses and singers, Wilde admired Sarah Bernhardt for example. Certain gay men have adored musicals and theater far before the days of Judy Garland. Though with the limited entertainment (before television) of those days, it wasn’t unusual for heterosexual men to enjoy the theater and opera as well.
It’s also important to note that though many men were arrested in England for homosexual acts, less were tried and/or imprisoned for it (and only in the most “offensive” acts were sentenced to the maximum of 2 years hard labor), where the numbers were nearly even in the early 20s by the mid 30s there was a wide gap between men arrested and those actually sentenced or even brought to trial. Also sometimes the authorities would turn a blind-eye to cases where male prostitutes were involved. That isn’t to say there wasn’t a culture of extreme silence and paranoia on the subject in the early part of the 20th century. And this period was also extremely conservative on any sexual subject, whether heterosexual or homosexual.
Yet the hedonism of the 1920s made life slightly easier for gay men (I only discuss men because lesbianism was never illegal), morals were becoming looser, fashion more daring, partying more prevalent, and a free-spirited bohemian mindset and women’s liberation was coming into being. Many silent film stars and directors were rumored to be homosexual or bisexual, actors such as Rudolph Valentino, Clifton Webb, Charles Bryant, William Haines (who was openly gay) and many others and famous directors that include: James Whale, Jean Cocteau, and George Cukor were pretty much “out” in Hollywood circles.
Artistic homoerotic photography (usually with Greek themes) came into light as well with the popularity of photography and many amateurs taking up the art form, there’s a Tumblr site called “vintage gay men” (warning there is pornography) where you can find many pictures of gay couples (especially sailors and other men in the military) and erotica from the Victorian period onward.
The word “gay” was also coming into use by the mid 1920s to refer to men who have sex with men, the phrase “gey cat” was also used to refer to a young gay man or teenager. Cary Grant was the first actor to use the word “gay” to refer to a homosexual on-screen in an ad-lib in the late 30s slapstick comedy Bringing Up Baby. It is also rumored that Grant was in a relationship with costume designer Orry-Kelly before he got his big break, and had a lifetime romance with fellow actor Randolph Scott (whom he shared a bachelor pad with all through the 1930s) even though they had seven marriages between them. But I digress as every era in Hollywood seemed to have a gorgeous closeted leading man (Tyrone Power (bi), Montgomery Clift, James Dean, Rock Hudson, etc.)…
In conclusion, gay culture of this time is more rich, varied and vibrant than one would expect. Though it was difficult to maintain a lasting romance, especially under the scrutiny of the public eye, behind closed doors or in all-male environments (such as university and the military) and under a shroud of secrecy many love affairs could thrive and flourish. For a servant like Thomas Barrow with no expectations or pressures of having a family, or making a name for himself beyond his meager status, it would not be as difficult as for a member of the aristocracy to form a long-term relationship with a fellow servant. There is the convenience of close quarters to consider and many hidden corners and empty corridors in a grand estate to steal a kiss or an embrace in. Though they would have to hide their feelings in front of other staff, it would not be unheard of for a same-sex pairing to carry on an affair in secret and in the privacy of their rooms.
Fellowes is right in the sense that gay men had a deep-seated fear of being outed and punished by the law in these times. But he is wrong to think gay men did not have love lives and plenty of sex (Has he ever heard of “rent boys”?), they just had to be discreet about it. I think if he were to have Thomas and Jimmy pursue a romance it would bring a lot of excitement to the show and highlight the gay culture of the time and the issues these men faced. Forbidden romance is much more dramatic and appealing than another standard heterosexual love story. It would also be more realistic for something to develop between two men of the same class than say a servant and a lord. If Mr. Fellowes has the ingenuity to write such a story, he would be doing a great service to himself as a dramatist, the wonderful characters he created (particularly Thomas), and the world wide audience captivated by the fascinating world of Downton Abbey.
If you are interested in the period of the late Victorian age through the 1920s I recommend the following books/films (note that many of these works were published at a much later date, but were written or take place in the early 20th century):
Upstairs Downstairs (long-running television series, if you’re a Downton fan and haven’t seen this, you NEED to. Available on-demand on Netflix.)
Time period: Early 1900s through 1930s.
Maurice (film and novel by E.M. Forster, I prefer the novel). Also see The Life to Come and Other Stories, a collection of short stories by the author (1910s-1930s).
Brideshead Revisited, the mini-series (NOT the later film) (novel (my favorite of all time) by Evelyn Waugh).
The Picture of Dorian Gray (multiple films (I prefer the 1945 one with George Sanders as Lord Henry) and novel by Oscar Wilde) also see his moving prose letter De Profundis that he wrote in prison.
Excerpt: “I wanted to eat of the fruit of all the trees in the garden of the world … And so, indeed, I went out, and so I lived. My only mistake was that I confined myself so exclusively to the trees of what seemed to me the sun-lit side of the garden, and shunned the other side for its shadow and its gloom.”
Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth (novel by Hermann Hesse, close M/M friendship, implied romantic feelings).
The Immoralist (novel by André Gide, self discovery/homoerotic prose).
Time period: early 1900s.
Wilde (biographical film about Oscar Wilde, starring Stephen Fry and Jude Law).
The Celluloid Closet (documentary that covers homoeroticism in film starting with the advent of the technology and the silent era).
De-Lovely (one of my favorites, biographical film of musical composer Cole Porter, who was gay, but also devoted and in love with his wife, height of his popularity was the 1930s).
Time period: 1920s-1960s.
Gosford Park (murder-mystery film by Julian Fellowes which includes a few gay characters and proof that he knows gay men had love lives back then)
Christopher and his Kind (biographical film about love life of English novelist Christopher Isherwood, starring Matt Smith of Doctor Who fame).
Swoon (film based on the factual story of gay lovers Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold Jr., who murdered a boy just for fun. Not the most pleasant topic, but they were gay and not ashamed. It’s actually a pretty good movie).
Time period: early 1920s.
Cabaret (Okay, it’s a little later than the time we’re speaking of, but it’s a great film and musical that illustrates the gay culture of Berlin before the rise of the Nazi regime).
Time period: early 1930s.
Another Country (A film about best friends, one gay and one a Marxist and how they deal with the hypocrisy and rigid hierarchy of public school (unnamed). It’s not a very well structured or engaging film romance-wise, but worth a watch for young Rupert Everett and Colin Firth).
If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.
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