On 23 May 1988, Paul Baker sat down with his family to eat cake on his sixteenth birthday while The Six O'Clock News played in the background. But something was not quite right. There was muffled shouting - 'Stop Section 28!' - and a scuffle. The morning papers would announce: 'Beeb Man Sits on Lesbian'.

The next day Section 28 passed into law, forbidding local authorities from teaching 'the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship'. It would send shockwaves through British society, silencing gay pupils and teachers while galvanizing mass protests and the formation of the LGBTQ+ rights groups OutRage! and Stonewall.

Now available in paperback, Outrageous! tells the full story: the background to the Act, how the press fanned the flames and what politicians said during debates, how protestors fought back to bring about the repeal of the law in the 2000s, and its eventual legacy. Based on detailed research, interviews with key figures - including Ian McKellen, Michael Cashman and Angela Mason - and personal recollection, it is an impassioned, warm, often moving account of unthinkable prejudice enshrined within law, and of the power of community to overcome it.

'Baker's chatty, tart tone and personal asides serve to throw the heady extremes of a not-so-distant era into even sharper relief.' - BBC History Magazine

'Peppered with wry asides and anecdotes.' - History Revealed magazine

'An important and fascinating deep dive into one of the most damaging pieces of legislation in modern history.' - Matthew Todd, author of Straight Jacket and Pride

'A lovely conversational social history.' - Paul Flynn, author of Good As You

About the Author
Paul Baker is Professor of English Language at Lancaster University. His books include American and British English (2018) and Fabulosa! The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language.

Reviews
Praise for Fabulosa! The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language: 'A Book of the Year 2019' - Times Literary Supplement 'Richly evocative and entertaining.' - The Guardian 'An essential book for anyone who wants to Polari bona!' - Attitude 'Paul Baker's exuberant, richly detailed history of Polari, a "secret" language used chiefly by gay men in the 1940s and 1950s, is a delightful read.' - Tatler 'Engrossing.' - Financial Times 'Baker tells the story of Polari with pride, passion and humour, making clear that camp be "deliciously political".' - London Magazine 'Intriguing and often amusing . . . Baker's interviews radiate warmth and good humour.' - Spectator 'A compelling history of the linguistic lengths to which gay men had to go to hide in plain sight.' - Observer 'A riveting, funny and joyous insight into the story of Polari.' - Gay's the Word Bookseller Picks 2019 'It's the tragic torment and harassment that gave rise to Polari in the first place that must not be forgotten, and which is why this book is important.' - Daily Mail 'This is a lovely story, told with charm and a perfect eye for the anecdote.' - Gscene 'Glorious! This fascinating and elegiac account of Polari, the Lost Language of Queens, is utterly absorbing. It's history at its best: alive, vivid, fluid, warm, human and humane, and it gets as close as any book I've read to penetrating the mystery-wrapped-in-an-enigma that is camp.' - Neil McKenna 'By turns deeply edifying and hugely entertaining and unusual for succeeding at being both - a future classic!' - Damian Barr 'A fascinating and complex story, beautifully told with clarity, passion, and humour.' - David Crystal 'Shot through with his nicely dry wit, this is a fascinating and important study.' - Patrick Gale



Book Information
ISBN 9781789145618
Author Paul Baker
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Reaktion Books
Publisher Reaktion Books