One of the challenges of researching LGBTQ+ history is how much of it is actively hidden, destroyed and obscured. Queer history is a world of burnt letters, one-sided correspondences, ciphers and hidden meaning. So today I'd like to share some examples with you. 1/

Firstly we have John Addington Symonds. Probably the most overtly out and 'proud' queer man of the 1800's! He wrote many articles and pieces on the subject of homosexuality, and his wife who knew about his desires may herself have been queer.

Tragically, Edmund Gosse who had previously written to John (confessing to his own same-sex desires) destroyed many of John's letters after his death out of fear for his own and John's credibility. Much of John's writing was lost, to the deep heartbreak of his daughter. 3/

Anna Laetitia Waring a hymn writer known for her friendships with women 'of singular depth and intensity.' She wrote a mysterious 'love letter' to another woman before dying. Her biographer, Mary Talbot, destroyed her correspondences because they 'weren't fit for publication' 4/

Hans Christian Andersen, writer of many famous fairytales, fell romantically in love with men and women. He would use a secret code in his diaries marked by the symbol 'X' to imply masturbation or solitary sexual fantasy regarding any of the 'illicit' objects of his affection. 5/

Moving away from humans, we have the bizarre situation of scientist George Murray Levick writing about Adelie Penguins: When he observed their 'sexual depravity' which included sex between male penguins, he wrote the notes in Greek! This was to obscure their deviance. 6/

One of the most famous queer diarists was that of Anne Lister (AKA Gentleman Jack) who wrote of her relationships with other women using a mix of Ancient Greek and Algebra 7/

The letters between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill used the nicknames 'Mrs. Morley' and 'Mrs. Freeman' when writing (passionately) to each other. Later when the relationship soured Sarah would write pamphlets of 'Dark deeds at night' as coded hints to the Queen's sexuality. 8/

Anne Frank wrote in her diary: "I remember that once when I slept with a girl friend I had a strong desire to kiss her, and that I did do so … I go into ecstasies every time I see the naked figure of a woman, such as Venus, for example … If only I had a girl friend!” 9/

If you are surprised by this, and don't remember reading this as a child. Well that's no surprise... This extract, and others, were removed and/or edited from her published diary by publishers and her father, who saw them as inappropriate. /10