The Light of Day by Christopher Stephens, Hardcover, 9781035421527 | Buy online at The Nile
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The Light of Day

The first man to come out at the dawn of gay liberation

Author: Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky  

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The remarkable true story of the first man to come out as gay

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25th August 2025
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Hardcover

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

The remarkable true story of the first man to come out as gay

Description

'Miraculous. The Light of Day reclaims a forgotten hero . . . I couldn't put it down' - Will Tosh

'Sir, we are homosexuals . . .'

So began the letter penned by Roger Butler and sent to several British newspaper editors - some of whom were so shocked they thought it was a hoax - in June 1960. Writing such a letter seven years before the decriminalisation of homosexuality was a radical and dangerous move. It was a risk that set a major milestone in the fight for gay rights - one that has been almost entirely forgotten.

This is the story of the first man to come out voluntarily, using his own name, to the entire British public, a decade before activists started petitioning gay people everywhere to 'come out proud'. Taking us through a criminalised underworld of gay pubs, parties and activist meetings, The Light of Day charts how Roger helped bring about the legalisation of homosexuality, but soon found himself marginalised from the movement he kickstarted after losing his sight in his early 30s.

Enter Christopher - a student asked to visit and read to an old, blind man at the beginning of a new century. As their intergenerational friendship bloomed, Roger came to trust Christopher with his most precious possession: memoirs of his revolutionary past, locked away in his home. After Roger's death, Christopher opened a series of unsent letters, left in a pink folder, addressed to him. They contained Roger's final wish, for Christopher finally to bring his remarkable, hidden story into the light of day.

'At times gripping, at times very personal, this remains an important piece of objective history, faithfully recorded and beautifully written' - Matthew Parris

Critic Reviews

Miraculous. The Light of Day reclaims a forgotten hero of the struggle for queer civil rights in a story that is a testament to courage, determination and love across generations. Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky write with tenderness, power and scorching honesty. I couldn't put it down -- Will Tosh, author of Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare
Immersed as I have been in the twentieth century campaign for homosexual equality, I had never known about Roger Butler, nor met anyone else who knew. What he did was quite something, and that today we should be so surprised that it was a shock, bears witness to the revolution he helped start. At times gripping, at times very personal, this remains an important piece of objective history, faithfully recorded and beautifully written -- Matthew Parris, political writer, broadcaster and former politician
Shines a light on a forgotten milestone in LGBT history and a gay man of great courage who came out publicly in the press when homosexuality was still punishable in Britain by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment -- Peter Tatchell, LGBT+ campaigner
More than a biography of a shamefully overlooked activist, The Light of Day paints a beautiful portrait of a friendship the gay reader will find instantly familiar and deeply moving. Tender, contemplative, wise, and funny, it fills the heart and then breaks it. Thanks to Christopher Stephens, Roger Butler is seen again -- AJ West

About the Author

Christopher Stephens (Author)

Christopher Stephens is an academic based in south west London. He is also CEO of an educational charity that promotes research into issues of importance to contemporary society. He has published on a range of topics, from ancient Church History to language and practices relating to diversity and inclusion. Christopher was next of kin to Roger Butler, inheriting Roger's extensive archive of writings and letter correspondences on his death.

Louise Radnofsky (Author)

Louise Radnofsky is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Washington, D.C., where she has covered healthcare, the White House, immigration and currently, sports. She holds two degrees in modern history from Oxford, where she attended University College, and one from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She and Christopher have been friends for more than 20 years.

Product Details

Publisher
Headline Publishing Group | Headline Press
Published
22nd May 2025
Pages
400
ISBN
9781035421527

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