Description
Book SynopsisThis book is the first scholarly work to explore male homosexual prostitution in interwar Scotland. The male prostitute occupies a contested position within interwar society depending on the perspective he was representative of a descent into turpitude, of tenacious organised criminality or of exploitation. The book explores connections between male prostitution and criminal gangs prevalent during the interwar period, by detailing the emergence and activities of Glasgow's notorious Whitehats', a gang composed of a number of queer male prostitutes and led by William Paton. This book discovers that although Paton's activities were representative of a career criminal, the young men who joined the Whitehats' were often driven by poverty and social isolation. This book explores the experiences of Edinburgh police detective William Merrilees and his war on homosexuality in Edinburgh during the 1930s through examining the tactics used to regulate homosexual trade and the implications this
Table of Contents
List of figures
List of tables
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The (Homo)Sexual Landscape of Interwar Scotland
2. Criminal Masquerades, William Paton and the Whitehats
3. Edinburgh – Plumbing the Depths of Depravity
4. Ogg, King and the Soldier Boys
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
