William Thomas Stead
W. T. Stead, 62, a pioneering investigative journalist, boarded the Titanic as a first class passenger. He was one of the most famous victims of the sinking, known internationally for his advocacy for women's rights, world peace, and civil liberties, as well as the international language Esperanto.
Annotated Bibliography
Baylen, Joseph O. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, s.v. "Stead, William Thomas (1849–1912)," accessed May 3, 2011.
- Argues that Stead's journalistic crusade against child prostitution furthered the passage of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885, which included a new law against "gross indecency," any sexual act of male with male short of sodomy. Also argues that Stead's "New Journalism" paved the way for today's tabloid press and was influential in demonstrating how the press could be used to influence public opinion and government policy.
The W.T. Stead Resource Site. https://www.attackingthedevil.co.uk/.
- Provides detailed biographical information about Stead and reproduces many of his writings.
Wikipedia, s.v. "Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885," accessed July 22, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_Law_Amendment_Act_1885.
- Passed on August 14, 1885. Provided for "the Protection of Women and Girls, the suppression of brothels, and other purposes." It raised the age of consent, and delineated the penalties for sexual offenses against women and minors. It also strengthened existing legislation against prostitution.
- A clause introduced by Member of Parliament Henry Labouchere on August 6, 1885 provided for a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year, with or without hard labour, for any man found guilty of "gross indecency" with another male, whether "public or private." No definition was given of what, exactly, constituted "gross indecency," as Victorian morality demurred from giving precise descriptions of activity considered immoral. In practice, "gross indecency" was widely interpreted as any sexual act of male with male short of sodomy (anal intercourse), which remained a more serious and separate crime. Used to convict Oscar Wilde in 1895.