Oxford makes author of ‘queer’ National Trust guide its first professor of LGBT history

The University of Oxford has appointed an academic who wrote a queer guidebook to National Trust properties as its first professor of LGBT history.

Matt Cook, who takes up the post at Mansfield College in October, said he would champion the university’s “strong, existing vein of queer historical work” and “show how these histories matter now”.

Prof Cook will join from Birkbeck, University of London, where for 18 years he has taught the gender and sexuality studies Master’s degree and covered queer history in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Helen Mountfield KC, the principal of Mansfield College, welcomed his appointment, saying that Prof Cook would be a great addition to “our proudly non-conformist college community”.

Prof Cook will become the first Jonathan Cooper Chair of the History of Sexualities. The post is named after the late human rights lawyer, who was an outspoken advocate of trans rights and opponent of conversion therapy.

He said that it was a “huge honour” to take up a role named after a “passionate advocate for LGBTQ rights”.

He added: “I will be working hard to enhance our understanding of the LGBTQ past and to show how these histories matter now.

“I will be championing the strong, existing vein of queer historical work at Oxford and fostering debate with LGBTQ scholars, writers, and activists from around the world.

“I’m tremendously excited to have this opportunity to help enlarge Oxford’s reputation for cutting edge work in this burgeoning field.”

National Trust book ‘a little tenuous’

The new professorship was made possible by a £4.9 million donation from the Arcadia Fund, a heritage and environmental charity.

Mansfield is now seeking further donations to create graduate scholarships and a fellowship based around LGBT history.

In 2017, Professor Cook co-authored an LGBT history of the National Trust titled Prejudice and Pride, which explores the “queer heritage” of the organisations’ properties.

According to the blurb, the 60 page guidebook examines “places that have been shaped by the sexuality of their inhabitants, workers, owners and guests”.

One of its subjects was Vita Sackville-West, who lived at Sissinghurst Castle and embarked on numerous lesbian affairs, including one with the novelist Virginia Woolf.

However, a reviewer from Coventry University noted that the work made links between the houses and LGBT individuals that were “a little tenuous”.

An ‘outstanding historian’

Rob Iliffe, the chair of Oxford’s history faculty, praised Professor Cook as an “outstanding historian” who had “played a key role in making Birkbeck a major centre for the study of queer history”.

Ms Mountfield KC said: “Matt will be a great fit in our proudly non-conformist college community which respects, protects and promotes a diverse range of voices and narratives.”

Ms Mountfield, a constitutional and human rights lawyer, was appointed to the role in 2018. She came to public prominence in the Supreme Court case to stop the Government from leaving the European Union without consulting Parliament, brought by Gina Miller, the businesswoman and activist.

She has continued her criticisms of ministers while in her post at Oxford, claiming that legislation intended to stop speakers being cancelled on university campuses was an attempt to “stir up a ... culture war”.

In 2021, she argued against plans for mandatory photo IDs at the polling booth, arguing there were “real concerns” about the impact on poorer voters and ethnic minorities.

Alumni of Mansfield, which opened in the 19th century for non-conformist ministers, include Chris Bryant, the Labour MP for Rhondda, and Munira Mirza, a former adviser to Boris Johnson who joined the Communist Party while at university.

It is known for taking a high proportion of state school pupils, and the standard of its vegetarian and vegan cooking.

In 2018, Mansfield students were forced to apologise after organising a cannabis-themed dance as a protest to support the legalisation of the drug.