King's College, Cambridge, stands as a historical and cultural hub for the LGBTQ+ community, renowned for its enduring commitment to tolerance and liberal values. This prestigious institution has nurtured a vibrant gay community at its core, attracting eminent figures in economics, literature, music, and art. The college's legacy of acceptance dates back to the 1860s, making it a welcoming haven for gay students and intellectuals like Alan Turing and John Maynard Keynes.
The college grounds feature a prominent Antony Gormley statue dedicated to Alan Turing, symbolizing his significant connection to King's. Turing's time at the college imbued him with "political strength and political clarity," allowing him to embrace his identity openly. Ainoa Cernohorsky remarked on Turing's development during his time at King's, saying:
“He’d had a relationship at school and people had been worried about that. So when he came to King’s, where it was perfectly acceptable to be homosexual, I think that’s when he developed himself as a gay person.” – Ainoa Cernohorsky
King's College's dining hall houses a painting of John Maynard Keynes by his lover Duncan Grant, underscoring the college's rich history of prominent LGBTQ+ figures. Key figures like Keynes have left a lasting impression on the college's community, with Simon Goldhill noting:
“He’s an economist – and economists count things. He’s bookkeeping.” – Simon Goldhill
Throughout its history, King's has remained a bastion of acceptance for openly gay individuals in positions of power, including the provost and senior fellows. The 1930s marked an era when it was "perfectly acceptable" for intellectual gay men like Turing to express their sexuality without fear. Simon Goldhill commented on the college's open environment:
“There’s that extraordinary sense that it was very much talked about and open. You’ve got a complete gay community at the centre of the establishment, with Keynes and leading figures in economics, literature, music and art in charge.” – Simon Goldhill
The college's community is thought to have roots in a statute signed by King Henry VI in 1443, which required King's to exclusively admit students from Eton College. This historical connection fostered a sense of camaraderie and acceptance among students, as illustrated by Simon Goldhill:
“Coming from one house in Eton, the undergraduates had already lived together as boys. They knew each other for ever,” – Simon Goldhill
Despite its illustrious past, King's College faces contemporary challenges to its liberal values. Academic research by a University of Cambridge scholar sheds light on why Alan Turing did not hide his homosexuality from the police. The college has consistently provided a supportive environment for its LGBTQ+ students, with unwavering encouragement from peers and professors.
The vibrant gay community at King's stands in contrast to the often somber narratives associated with gay history. Unlike tales of casual pickups and despair, the community at King's has been described as "rather happy." Virginia Woolf once noted:
“The word buggery was never far from our lips.” – Virginia Woolf