The Light of Day

'Sir, we are homosexuals . . .'

So began the letter penned by Roger Butler and sent to several British newspapers in June 1960, seven years before the decriminalisation of homosexuality. It was a dangerous move that set a major milestone in the fight for gay rights - one that has been almost entirely forgotten.

This is the story of the first man to come out voluntarily, using his own name, to the entire British public. Taking us through a criminalised underworld, The Light of Day charts how Roger helped bring about the legalisation on homosexuality, but soon found himself marginalised from the movement he kickstarted after losing his sight in his early 30s.

Enter Christopher - a student asked to read to an old, blind man at the beginning of a new century. As their friendship bloomed, Roger came to trust Christopher with his most precious possession: memoirs of his revolutionary past. After Roger's death, Christopher opened a series of unsent letters, left in a pink folder, addressed to him. They contained Roger's final wish, for Christopher finally to bring his story into the light of day.