Episode 4 - Dr Luciano Rila on the UK’s First Gaysoc

Professor Philip Schofield sits down with Dr Luciano Rila, from the Department of Maths, to delve into the history of the UK’s first university-affiliated Gaysoc, founded by Jamie Gardiner in 1972, at UCL. Dr Rila discovered archival materials in UCL’s Special Collections revealing that though the society was initially met with backlash, UCL’s liberal tradition prevailed, and the movement gained momentum, slowly leading to nationwide improvements in the lives of queer students.

 

Host: Professor Philip Schofield (Director of the Bentham Project, UCL)

Guest: Dr Luciano Rila (Department of Mathematics, UCL)

Commissioners: Professor David Docherty OBE & Dr Paul Ayris (Pro-Vice-Provost LCCOS: Library, Culture, Collections and Open Science, UCL)

Director: Justin Hardy (IOE - Culture, Communication & Media, UCL)

Producer: Stevie Doran 

 

Date: 4 November 2024

Duration: 25:22 

What is The Greatest Good?

UCL Press Play’s inaugural series, The Greatest Good, explores the lasting influence of the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, whose radical progressivism was the intellectual inspiration for UCL. As the first entirely secular university to admit students regardless of religion, UCL was inspired by Bentham’s principles of equality and intellectual freedom.

Hosted by Professor Philip Schofield, Director of UCL’s Bentham Project, The Greatest Good features a series of five conversations with UCL’s world-leading academics.

Website and transcripts: https://uclpress.co.uk/ucl-press-play/