February is LGBTQ+ History Month in the U.K.! In 2003, it was also the month when the first legislation aiming to repeal Section 28 was made. If you don't know what Section 28 is, don't worry! I didn't either. I'm here to explain it all now.
Though homosexuality has not been illegal since 1967 in England and Wales and 1980 in Scotland, the promotion of homosexuality was still illegal under Section 28 until 2003. What does the promotion of homosexuality mean? I was curious about that too. It means that authorities were not allowed to publish material or act in a way that promotes homosexuality, as well as promoting schools teaching acceptance of homosexual parents building a family.
Though there was nothing specific that restricted what teachers could teach in their classrooms, there was a misunderstanding that was spread, leaving teachers unsure of what they could teach. To be safe, teachers tended to stay away from topics relating to homosexuality.
The law was never successfully used to prosecute anyone. Thank goodness! However, there were attempts made to cut funding for the LGBTQ+ community as well as the HIV/AIDS prevention organizations using Section 28 as a reason.
This law was horrible for the community as even if it was not used to make homosexuality illegal, it was used to marginalize LGBTQ+ folks and discriminate against them and their families. It also was the cause of a lack of education and representation, which is incredibly important for the community and its youth.
Section 28 was repealed in June of 2000 in Scotland and in November of 2003 in the rest of the U.K.. With this law abolished, the U.K. has taken steps towards being more accepting and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, such as legally recognizing same-sex relationships in Britain in 2005 and the legalization of same-sex marriages in England and Wales in 2013. The equivalent law was passed in February of 2014 in Scotland, making same-sex marriage legal in nearly the whole country. This type of progress is long overdue, but still worth celebrating for our LGBTQ+ community in the U.K. and the progress this encourages around the world.
