LGBTQAI History Month – A look back
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Published 21 Feb 2023 in Raising Awareness
We are proud to celebrate LGBTQAI History Month! As part of the celebration, hear from Elliot Bateman, Chairman of the Co-op Pride Working group, who has pulled together an interesting read for this historic month.
Why do we celebrate LGBTQ History month?
Celebrated in the UK in February each year, it is an initiative started marking the abolition of “Section 28”.
Section 28 was part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".
The resultant effect of this was teachers and other school staff became fearful of doing what they knew and felt to be the right thing.
Section 28 was abolished in 2003, and twenty years on from this, we find ourselves moving increasingly towards the right side of history. For many more schools than ever before, positive, and inclusive education around lesbian, gay and bisexual lives and identities is just part and parcel of teaching all students about the world they actually live in.
Why is it important to remember LGBTQ+ history?
Did you know it has only been decriminalised for 50 years in the UK, to be with a partner of the same sex?
Legislation has slowly changed over the past 50-years to reflect the modernisation of LGBTQ+ rights in the UK, however, it has been far from an ‘easy ride’ for those who have campaigned for change.
Below is a summary of some of the key milestones and legislative changes:
50 years of legislation – British Library
1967 - Sex between two men over 21 and "in private" is decriminalised
1980 - Decriminalisation in Scotland
1982 - Decriminalisation in Northern Ireland
1994 - The age of consent for two male partners is lowered to 18
2000 - The ban on gay and bisexual people serving in the armed forces is lifted; the age of consent is equalised for same- and opposite-sex partners at 16
2002 - Same-sex couples are given equal rights when it comes to adoption
2003 - Gross indecency is removed as an offence
2004 - A law allowing civil partnerships is passed
2007 - Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is banned
2010 - Gender reassignment is added as a protected characteristic in equality legislation
2014 - Gay marriage becomes legal in England, Wales, and Scotland
Recent news to watch out for…
In 2018, Theresa May’s government vowed to ban ‘Conversion Therapy’ in the UK for Gays and Lesbians - ‘therapy’ which tries to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
This ‘vow’ to ban the therapy has still not been kept, even 5-years later in 2023, however recently in January 2023, the UK Government has begun drawing up plans to ban Conversion Therapy for ALL, including Gays, Lesbians, and Trans People – a wider cast net than promised by Theresa May in 2018.
In Scotland, the Gender Recognition Reform Bill was drafted, which was blocked shortly after by the UK Government. This is a blow to trans rights in the UK, as the bill made the process easier to legally recognise someone’s identified gender in Scotland.
This was blocked by the UK Government using its devolutionary powers over the Scottish government and is the only time that Section-35 of the Scotland Act has been used since 1998, in a move which undermined the devolution settlement and Trans rights within the UK.
This is now a constitutional matter between the UK Government and the Scottish Government, which has been widely controversial, and covered in recent news, so keep an eye out for updates!
Nonetheless, it highlights the importance of standing together as a community, being kind, understanding and supporting each other, no matter what our individual characteristics are.
Source - BITC newsletter
If any of the issues, celebrations or milestones mentioned above are significant to you, or you remember these developments happening, feel free to log in and leave a comment below, let us know your thoughts and feelings!