Arthur Gore, 8th Earl of Arran
Arthur Gore, 8th Earl of Arran (5 July 1910 – 23 February 1983) was a British politician and the Conservative whip in the House of Lords. He is known for leading the effort in the House of Lords to decriminalise male homosexuality in 1967.
His father was Arthur Gore, 6th Earl of Arran, and he was the father of Arthur Gore, 9th Earl of Arran. He was affectionately known as “Boofy”. In 1958 he succeeded his brother to become the 8th Earl of Arran and became an active member of the House of Lords. He married Fiona Colquhoun (d. 16 May 2013), daughter of Sir Ian Colquhoun. She was a speedboat racer and, like her husband, an animal rights activist.[1] The couple had homes in Hertfordshire and Scotland.
Arran was the sponsor in the House of Lords of Leo Abse's 1967 private member's bill which as the Sexual Offences Act 1967 decriminalised homosexual acts between two consenting adult men. He also sponsored a bill for the protection of badgers, and was once asked why this effort had failed whereas decriminalising homosexuality had succeeded. "There are not many badgers in the House of Lords", Arran is reported to have replied.[2]
External links
- ↑ "The Countess of Arran". Daily Telegraph.
- ↑ Thomas, June (5 October 2016). ""A Terrible Propensity for Malice"". Slate. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
Sources
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Arran
- Profile, thePeerage.com; accessed 29 February 2016.
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Arthur Paul John Charles Gore |
Earl of Arran 1958–1983 |
Succeeded by Arthur Colum Michael Connolly-Gore |