Section 28 Repealed

2023 marks 20 years since Section 28 was repealed. The law, which was enforced under the Local Government Act 1988 and was brought forward by Thatcher’s government, banned local authorities and schools from ‘promoting homosexuality’.

Following mass protests from LGBTQ+ campaigners and activists, Section 28 was finally repealed on 21 June 2001 in Scotland and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of the UK. Though the legislation is no longer in place, the shadow of this legislation can still be felt by many from the community.

By Haydn Rothwell

On 7th February 2000, the first attempted legislation to repeal Section 28 was introduced by the Labour Government as part of the Local Government Act 2000, but was defeated. In Scottish Parliament, the repeal process was more successful where various groups campaigned against the repeal. Section 28 was successfully repealed as part of the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 on 21 June 2000 with a majority vote.

Sadly, Section 28 deprived generations of LGBTQ+ pupils the chance of seeing people like themselves in books, plays and films their schools could stock or show. Teachers weren’t allowed to teach about same-sex relationships; anyone who broke the law could face disciplinary action.

Section 28 became law on 24 May 1988. Many protests were staged, including a group of lesbians that abseiled into the House of Lords in protest, making national news broadcasts! The legislation caused 20,000 Mancunians to take to their city’s streets to march against it and prompted Sir Ian McKellen to come out publicly as gay. Section 28 was introduced following a difficult period for the LGBTQ+ community in the UK. There had been some progress, but the outbreak of HIV/AIDS led to the widespread demonisation of gay and bisexual men in the 1980s.

Despite successive defeats in the House of Lords of attempts to repeal Section 28 in England and Wales, the Labour government passed legislation to repeal this section as part of the Local Government Act 2003 by a vote of MPs. This passed the Lords and received Royal Assent on18 September 2003 and the repeal became effective on 18 November 2003. David Cameron issued an apology for the harm it had done in 2009.

In spite of this, its implications are still felt far and wide and teaching around LGBTQ+ issues remain taboo in many schools.

By Julia Lietzau