Through Oct. 1, a new exhibit at Tate Britain in London titled Queer British Art offers its first exhibition devoted entirely to British art fitting into this category, with works spanning 1861–1967. The time period is significant because of the often intense discrimination faced by members of queer society during these years. The exhibition includes photographs, drawings, paintings and films by artists including John Singer Sargent, Dora Carrington, Duncan Grant and David Hockney that range in scope from political to erotic and domestic. The exhibition is supplemented by a number of related events including a workshop at The Black Flamingo Open Studio until June 14, and a presentation by actor, writer, director and LGBTQ rights advocate Alan Cumming exploring how the arts can be an important factor in influencing change and public perception (May 14).

The exhibition has been designed to tell five crucial historic queer stories, including Sappho (featuring the painting Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene by Simeon Solomon); the sad tale of playwrights and artists Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell, which ended in a tragic murder-suicide; the lives and works of artists Claude Cahun (born Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob) and Marcel Moore (born Suzanne Malherbe); the artistic and lifelong companionship of Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon; and unconventional painter Dora Carrington, who also was a skilled potter, muralist, filmmaker and quilter whose range of work included book design, inn signs and fireplace tiles. The exhibition page at the Tate website also includes a riveting four-minute film by beloved actor Ian McKellen, who discusses gender and sexuality from a deeply personal perspective.