In this blog, I will be specifically discussing British LGBTQ+ politics and history. So, how did the community get to where it is today?
The first signs of significant laws in the UK banning homosexuality was with the Buggery Act 1533, passed by King Henry VIII and making all-male sex acts punishable by death. The act only ran until the end of parliament, but the law was re-enacted three times and then in 1541 it was enacted to carry on “for ever”. The Law in Wales act 1542 extended this into Welsh law. The general laws never really changed, homosexuality and homosexual acts were banned with several changes to the act such as in 1828 when the Buggery Act was replaced by the Offences against the Person Act 1828, but homosexuality remained punishable by death until 1861 when the death penalty for homosexuality was replaced with a prison sentence. A total of 56 men had been prosecuted since 1806, with 404 sentenced to death.
Much later on into the 20th century, with very little change to laws relating to homosexuality, the Minorities Research Group (MRG) was formed in 1963 and was the first lesbian social and political organisation. They went on to publish their own magazine in called ‘Arena Three’. In 1964, The North West Homosexual Reform Committee was founded, abandoning the medicinal model of homosexuality with the view of it as a sickness and calling for its decriminalisation.
In 1966, the Conservative MP Humphrey Berkeley (who was well known by his colleagues as being gay) introduced a bill to parliament to legalise male homosexual relations. This fell very fast and unexpectedly, Berkeley lost his seat in the 1966 general election. The following year, Welsh Labour MP Leo Abse (supported by Labour MP Roy Jenkins) introduced the Sexual Offences Bill 1967 which, when passed, decriminalised homosexual acts between men aged over 21 but only in England and Wales. However, it restricted where homosexual men could have sexual relations. For instance, they could not commit sexual acts while in a hotel. These restrictions were overturned by the European Court of Human Rights in 2000.
The first British gay pride rally was held in London in 1972, with one thousand people marching from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park celebrating pride in the LGBTQ+ community. In 1974, Maureen Colquhoun came out as the first lesbian MP for the Labour Party.
Moving onto the 1980’s, probably one of the most controversial times for members of the LGBTQ+ community, as this was the time of a peak in HIV diagnosis’ and a lot of the blame was placed onto the LGBTQ+ community. In 1983, there are 17 reported cases of AIDS in Britain and as a result gay men are asked not to donate blood. Then came 1987 and section 28 (not introduced until 1988), introduced by the notorious Conservative British prime minister Margaret Thatcher who was quoted as saying “children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay”. Section 28 eventually banned support groups in public buildings and teachers ability to give a support to pupils about LGBTQ+ related issues. To do this was said to be “promoting homosexuality”.
In 1994, Conservative MP Edwina Currie introduced an amendment to lower the age of consent for homosexual acts from 21 to 16, which would be in line with heterosexual acts. The vote was defeated, however the age of consent for homosexual acts was lowered to 18, the lesbian age of consent was not set. In 1996 a breakthrough was made in the area of AIDS treatment; HAART is found to significantly delay the onset of AIDS in people living with HIV. The NHS makes the treatment available in the UK. HAART has a dramatic effect and many bed ridden AIDS patients return to work later.
Following Tony Blair’s major election victory in that years general election, in September 1997 Labour MP Angela Eagle (a good friend of mines aunt) was the first MP to come out voluntarily as lesbian. In the same year, gay partners were given equal immigration rights. The following year the Labour government introduced an amendment to the Crime and Disorder Bill to set the age of consent to 16 for homosexual men, this was later rejected by the house of lords.
In the millennium year, the policy barring homosexuals from serving in the armed forces. Although the actual law was not repealed until 2016. Same sex couples were given equal adoption rights in 2002. A year later, the incredibly controversial section 28 was repealed. In 2004, the civil partnership act is passed by the Labour government allowing same sex couples the same rights and responsibilities as married couples.
Years later, something I remember as a significant move towards a fully equal United Kingdom for members of the LGBTQ+ community was the legalisation of same sex marriage in 2014 under the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition (2010-15). A move that wouldn’t have been made if it weren’t for the support of 217 Labour MP’s, the majority of the party’s members of parliament at the time.
Then we get to today.