Amsterdam Pride: The Light of Day by Christopher Stephens

Book presentation of The Light of Day: The First Man to Come Out at the Dawn of Gay Liberation by Christopher Stephens.
About this Event

Please join us at ABC Amsterdam for an afternoon with Christopher Stephens, author of . Christopher will talk about his book, have a Q&A session with the audience, and sign the book afterwards. Ben Fleetwood Smyth will moderate the afternoon.
About the book:
The Light of Day tells the story of Roger Butler: the first man known to have come out voluntarily, publicly, and under his own name to the entire British public, in order to challenge the laws that had criminalised and terrorised gay men for generations.
Taking us into the hidden queer world of post-war London, Christopher Stephens charts how Roger helped to change the course of gay rights in Britain. In 1960, seven years before the partial decriminalisation of sex between men, Roger wrote an open letter to the press declaring himself homosexual. It was a dangerous and extraordinary act: a major milestone in the fight for gay rights, yet one that has been almost entirely forgotten. After losing his sight in his early thirties, Roger soon found himself pushed to the margins of the movement he had helped to ignite.
At the beginning of a new century, Christopher was a student asked to read to an old, blind man. As their friendship grew, Roger entrusted him with his most precious possession: the memoirs of his revolutionary past.
After Roger's death, Christopher opened a series of unsent letters, left in a pink folder and addressed to him. They contained Roger's final wish: that Christopher should finally bring his story into the light of day.
About the speakers:
Dr. Christopher Stephens is an academic based in London. He is also CEO of an educational charity that promotes research into issues of importance to contemporary society. He has published on a range of topics, from theology to language and practices around diversity and inclusion. Christopher met Roger Butler in 2003, as an Oxford University student and their friendship of nearly a decade led to the discovery of Roger's story.
Ben Fleetwood Smyth is Head of Communications and Brand for Philips' International Markets and has called Amsterdam home for the past five years. Originally from the UK, he has held senior roles at Virgin Media and Vodafone. Ben first met Christopher as undergraduates at Oxford University, where a friendship began that has lasted to this day. A proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, he is delighted to host this conversation at the American Book Center during Amsterdam Pride, bringing together his love of books, stimulating discussion and good company in the city he now proudly calls home.