18/05/2026
Bath has always had q***r stories woven into its history 🌈
From Roman emperors and gothic novelists to suffragettes, artists and activists, LGBTQIA+ people have always existed, even when history tried to erase them.
1.Elagabalus: Roman emperor, remembered for behaviour and gender expression that challenged Roman norms at the time. 🏛️
2.Charlotte Charke: Actor, playwright and author who lived and performed in Bath, known for performing in masculine roles and living openly outside traditional gender expectations. 🎭
3.Charles Hamilton: A travelling doctor from Somerset whose life was documented in the Bath Journal after living publicly as a man in the 18th century. 🩺
4.Chevalier d’Éon: French diplomat who lived in Bath and publicly lived as a woman in her later life, becoming one of history’s most famous gender nonconforming figures. 🎖️
5.Mary Shelley: Gothic novelist and author of Frankenstein, who spent time living in Bath while writing parts of the novel. Wrote about her romantic interest in women as well as men. 🖋️
6.Annie Kenney: Suffragette and socialist feminist who stayed frequently at Eagle House near Bath, was said to have had romantic relationships with other women in the house. ✊
7.Oliver Messel: Celebrated artist and stage designer who worked in Bath, including redesigning the Assembly Rooms in the 1960s. He lived openly with his partner, despite same-sez relationships being illegal at the time. 🎨
8.Angus McBean: Surrealist photographer and set designer who moved to Bath during WWII and became one of Britain’s most influential q***r visual artists. He was arrested in Bath for homosexuality in 1942, serving a two year sentence. 📸
9.Dallas Pratt & John Judkyn: Partners and founders of the American Museum & Gardens, who helped shape one of Bath’s most loved cultural spaces. 🇺🇸
10.And us, Bath Pride: Bath’s first grassroots organised Pride celebration, continuing the city’s q***r history into today. 🌈
***rhistory
