"The 18th century was not a good time to be LGBTQ. Despite being the Enlightenment, in the UK, criminal prosecution of gay and bisexual people (overwhelmingly men) was increasing rapidly. By 1800, cities like London were in full moral panic about gay men and many were executed. Nonetheless – or perhaps even because of this – LGBTQ writers were writing about themselves, and others about queer people, in very surprising ways."