For those who aren't aware, Downton Abbey is a TV show set in a British manor house, set between 1912 and around 1920.
One character named Thomas is a footman, and later underbutler, in that house. He is gay, a status that is clearly explicated onscreen. What's more, that status is pretty clearly known by most, if not all, of the other characters onscreen. Mrs. Patmore, the cook, tells an infatuated scullery maid, "He's not a ladies' man! Thomas... is a troubled soul." Bates, Lord Grantham's valet, remarks to him about a visiting gentleman to whom Thomas has been begrudgingly assigned, "Well, you know Thomas. He has to have a grumble, but I gather he cheered up when he saw the gentleman."
Despite all this, the Downton staff and residents in general seem perfectly content to let sleeping dogs lie. No one brings the subject up, and even when the police come for Thomas after he solicits a fellow footman, Lord Grantham rises to his defense and keeps him from being taken away.
My question is, how prevalent was an attitude like this towards homosexuality during that period and in that region? It honestly seems to me to be more accepting than the attitudes of many modern Americans, so I'm curious whether the show is taking liberties.
Thanks ahead of time for your answers!
Homosexuality was not legalised in the UK until 1967. Before the 1950s, however, the environment regarding homosexuality was fairly lax (emphasis on fairly). It certainly had something to do with where you lived as well; traditionally urban cities (such as New York City) have had large, vibrant gay communities seen in the early 1900s. Although gay people were often treated as spectacles and many considered them to be mentally diseased, they were sometimes left alone. Of course, opinions varied by the person and there are many accounts of gay people (mainly men because lesbianism was not discussed as frequently or openly) being harrassed and arrested. These views came from the work of the sexologists, which began being prevalent in the 1890s. Many, many works were published; some accepting of homosexuality such as the works of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs and some not so accepting. Some (by which I mean most) of the "research" conducted by sexologists was often considered pseudoscientific because their entire study would consist of prison inmates or residents of insane asylums. Regardless of their credibility, the general public read their works and they had a large influence on the way the public viewed homosexuality.
The shift towards widespread hostility towards homosexuality in Britain came about in the 1950s and 1960s, similarly to the United States. The police began cracking down more and homosexuality became more taboo.
To more directly answer your question: that depiction sounds fairly accurate. The comment about him being a "troubled soul," fits in with the attitudes of that time well - many thought homosexuality was a disease (it was categorized by the APA as a mental disorder until 1973). In the 1910s and 1920s, many people were willing to, as you said, "let sleeping dogs lie," as long as they were, in fact, sleeping and not causing trouble.
A good reading on homosexuality in the UK specifically is found on the Guardian website
I can refer you to many more great works on attitudes towards homosexuality and the progression over time. Unfortunately, almost all of the works that I have read focus on the United States. Sorry! I'd still be more than willing to share them with you if you'd like!
Anyway, I hope this helps to answer your question!
You might be interested in looking up a biography of author E.M. Forester. Novels of his like Maurice (which might be largely autobiographical, at least in tone) give us a window into the views of the time as well, and I highly recommend that particular work.