Jeff Mefk

Working-Class Courtship, Marriage, and Divorce in Scotland, 1855–1939 Abstract. This is the first book-length study of the history of working-class courtship and marriage in Scotland. The time period is based on the beginning

Out now: Working-Class Courtship, Marriage, and Divorce in Scotland, 1855–1939 academic.oup.com/book/61449

Queer heritage across Scotland explored in brand new book | Historic Environment Scotland Featuring 14 authors including Ali Smith, Damian Barr, Rona Munro and Louise Welsh.

Who will be remembered here: Queer Spaces in Scotland www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/new...

Glasgow Uni.

Could I be added please?

Grainy photograph of a group of students working on the Whithorn Dig.

Found a photo (poor quality) of me working on the Whithorn Dig in the mid 1980s. Loved it.

Add me please, thank you.

Homosexuality and the Scottish Press 1880-1930 A guest post by Dr Michael Shaw, Senior Lecturer in English Studies at the University of Stirling. In his History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault famously critiqued the ‘repressive hypothesis’. Far f…

New followers: I also created the website www.queerscotland.com with latest articles including Dr Michael Shaw on homosexuality in the Scottish Press, 1880-1930. queerscotland.com/2024/10/04/h...

William Marshall, who was 60, received a sentence of 10 years penal servitude.

Every family has its own ‘mysteries’. I was intrigued by my grandmother’s reluctance to speak of her family history as it was ‘too painful’. I think I found out why - this happened to her grandfather.

Couple of books:

For new followers: I’m an alleged historian of sexualities; male sex work in the 20s/30s; gay & bisexual men’s experiences in post-war Scotland. Add to this a historian of marriage (co-authored book forthcoming) and more recently, investigating Scottish university ‘gaysocs’ in the 1970s and 1980s.

Sudden bump in followers which means a) I’ve been mistaken for somebody much more interesting or b) I’m on a list.

That awful feeling on realising that I am older than Therese Coffey.

Homosexuality and the Scottish Press 1880-1930 A guest post by Dr Michael Shaw, Senior Lecturer in English Studies at the University of Stirling. In his History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault famously critiqued the ‘repressive hypothesis’. Far f…

‘Homosexuality and the Scottish Press’ a guest post from Dr Michael Shaw of Stirling University on QueerScotland: queerscotland.com/2024/10/04/h...

YouTube video by Rob Squad Reactions INCREDIBLE!| FIRST TIME HEARING OMD - Maid Of Orleans REACTION WITH FOUNDING MEMBER Andy McCluskey

Niche post, but i had no idea that Joan of Arc in the OMD (one of the best bands of the 80s) music video for Maid of Orleans was played by Julia Tobin of Auf Wiedersehen Pet fame. youtu.be/6X_NFYsbaMQ?...

I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be at the moment than here.

But a place filed with happy memories nonetheless.

In the summer, due to the proximity of large numbers of sheep, the wee station was infested with flies/clegs. In the winter it was thrashed by freezing wind and rain.

And I can remember taking one trip with my friend David in a corridorless carriage with a man who alternated between claiming we looked like a couple of ‘p***s’ and looking like a couple of ‘h*ns’.

Indeed. A 20 mile trip to Barrhill as a youth, and then on to Glasgow, which promised sexual adventure.

Cruising & Cottaging: Sex in Public Places | Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Today on #BetwixtTheSheets, I am talking to the excellently excellent @jeffmeek.bsky.social about his work on the history of cottaging in Scotland.

shows.acast.com/betwixt-the-...

Cruising & Cottaging: Sex in Public Places | Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Did a thing: Betwixt the Sheets: Cruising and Cottaging shows.acast.com/betwixt-the-...

Call for papers: Sport, “islands”, people, and politics The St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall, Orkney Saturday, 28 June 2025 A joint one-day conference supported by the Scottish Society of Northern Studies and the British Society of Sports History Plenary speaker...

CALL FOR PAPERS: Sport, “islands”, people, and politics

Saturday, 28 June 2025: the St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall, Orkney.

Jointly supported by the Scottish Society of Northern Studies (northernstudies.bsky.social) and the British Society of Sports History.

Currently writing a memoir style chapter for a LGBTQ arts and heritage collection. I’m finding it incredibly difficult/uncomfortable inserting myself into this particular history despite being ‘there’.

And currently preparing my Sexualities hons course (UK LGBTQ history, 1885-1990) for its 5th running. Did a judicial theatre performance based on Queer Trades (dir. Kfir Lapid). Thinking of bringing elements of this into a seminar.

Would quite happily live here and work remotely.

Had a great holiday in Sutherland recently. Stunning.

Stays with you. Almost every single man I interviewed quite calmly recounted traumatic incidents. It somehow didn’t feel right that I was the first person they had told.

a woman with a ring on her finger is covering her mouth ALT: a woman with a ring on her finger is covering her mouth

I’m recording a Podcast on cottaging this afternoon. In some ways I am glad my grandparents are no longer around to know this.

And contentment within academia is sometimes accepting you will never be the greatest or most intellectually invigorating writer. The odd bit of praise is often manna from heaven.