The Light of Day cover art

The Light of Day

the moving true story of the first man to come out as gay

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The Light of Day

By: Christopher Stephens, Louise Radnofsky
Narrated by: Christopher Stephens, Griff Mellhuish
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About this listen

 'Your book is the "really good book. Just one" that Roger Butler would have wanted' - Sir Ian McKellen

'Miraculous. The Light of Day reclaims a forgotten hero . . . I couldn't put it down' - Will Tosh

'Sir, we are homosexuals . . .'

So began the letter penned by Roger Butler and sent to several British newspaper editors - some of whom were so shocked they thought it was a hoax - in June 1960. Writing such a letter seven years before the decriminalisation of homosexuality was a radical and dangerous move. It was a risk 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, a decade before activists started petitioning gay people everywhere to 'come out proud'. Taking us through a criminalised underworld of gay pubs, parties and activist meetings, The Light of Day charts how Roger helped bring about the legalisation of 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 visit and read to an old, blind man at the beginning of a new century. As their intergenerational friendship bloomed, Roger came to trust Christopher with his most precious possession: memoirs of his revolutionary past, locked away in his home. 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 remarkable, hidden story into the light of day.

The audio edition includes three special bonus tracks, "Recordings from Regent Street", from Roger's audio archive. These three recordings, of Roger discussing his parents, reading with Christopher and drafting a letter, allow you to hear in Roger's own voice how he thought, and how he managed to compose his essays and other material into a form he could then copy onto paper.

'At times gripping, at times very personal, this remains an important piece of objective history, faithfully recorded and beautifully written' - Matthew Parris

'A compelling read and a fascinating education' - Jill Nalder©2025 Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky Biographies & Memoirs LGBTQ+ People with Disabilities

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Critic reviews

Miraculous. The Light of Day reclaims a forgotten hero of the struggle for queer civil rights in a story that is a testament to courage, determination and love across generations. Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky write with tenderness, power and scorching honesty. I couldn't put it down (Will Tosh, author of Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare)
Immersed as I have been in the twentieth century campaign for homosexual equality, I had never known about Roger Butler, nor met anyone else who knew. What he did was quite something, and that today we should be so surprised that it was a shock bears witness to the revolution he helped start. At times gripping, at times very personal, this remains an important piece of objective history, faithfully recorded and beautifully written (Matthew Parris, political writer, broadcaster and former politician)
Shines a light on a forgotten milestone in LGBT history and a gay man of great courage who came out publicly in the press when homosexuality was still punishable in Britain by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment (Peter Tatchell, LGBT+ campaigner)
More than a biography of a shamefully overlooked activist, The Light of Day paints a beautiful portrait of a friendship the gay reader will find instantly familiar and deeply moving. Tender, contemplative, wise, and funny, it fills the heart and then breaks it. Thanks to Christopher Stephens, Roger Butler is seen again (AJ West)
Your book is the "really good book. Just one" that Roger Butler would have wanted (Sir Ian McKellen)
An engrossing, beautiful book about a chance encounter and the unfolding story of a forgotten gay hero! Now, as the rights of people are increasingly under threat, this book is a reminder of the sacrifices that have been made to achieve liberation (Lord Michael Cashman)
Searching, sad and quietly exhilarating, The Light of Day evokes British society's gay enlightenment through the prism of a single remarkable life. More than this, it tells a resonant story of youth, age and the possibilities of platonic love (James Cahill, author of Tiepolo Blue and The Violet Hour)
A compelling read and a fascinating education. The Light of Day is an important piece in the jigsaw of gay history
We are profoundly moved by this arresting biography
Very well written and thoroughly researched
thoughtful and affectionate . . . A celebration [of Roger Butler] by someone who loved him
Absorbing and often very moving . . . this book elegantly and touchingly combines biography and history to produce a work of real and enduring value (Peter Parker, Spectator)
The queer community would not be where it is today without people like Roger. Such a hero. It was joyous to read . . . People need to go and get this book
Faithfully and beautifully told
All stars
Most relevant
The Light of Day is the best book I've read or listened to in months (and I read and listen a lot!) It tells the important story of Roger Butler, the first man to come out publicly in the UK in order to help change the law. I learned so much about the history of gay rights activism, for which I'm grateful, and feel very inspired to research this further to continue my education. The story of Roger's friendship with Christopher is beautiful. The combination of both elements is sublime. I will certainly look out for more from these authors.

Important story beautifully told

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The story of a very brave and extraordinary man. Sexual orientation is an important part of the story, but not exclusively so.

An extraordinary story.

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Just finished this remarkable book. It is so many things: an historical and political document, the biography of the first British man to actually come out as gay in 1960, an account of the brutal reality of becoming completely blind as a young man, the recounting of the struggle to become a writer and find the small bit of happiness available to him, and - in the end - a touching and unconventional love story across a wide generational gap. One of the few reads that I feel leaves me genuinely changed.

So many wonderful things.

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A charming book about Roger Butler.A blind gay man who was brave enough to come out when it was illegal to be gay. He lost his sight at an early age but seem to have endured it with fortitude. In the end he realised that he had found love and surely that is what we all want.

A wonderful narration

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