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Key dates of progress to help you celebrate LGBT History Month

14 February 2019

February marks and, to commemorate it, Lauren Clarke – a Scottish contributor to The Social – made a film about some of the milestones in the long battle for equality for the LGBTQI+ community.

She looked into how Scotland is now seen as one of the most progressive nations in the world for LGBTQI+ rights, but was historically one of the last to pass progressive legislation.

And she presented a brief timeline of events that have led us to where we are today.

SCOTLAND'S GAYBCs | LGBT History Month

Lauren takes us through Scotland's LGBTQI+ history.

A timeline that points to progress

  • 1889
    Scotland became the last territory in Europe to abolish the death sentence for certain acts associated with homosexuality, converting the sentence to life imprisonment instead.
  • 1957
    The Wolfenden Report – calling for the decriminalisation of homosexuality – was rejected by Parliament.
  • 1967
    England and Wales decriminalised homosexuality.
  • 1980
    Scotland decriminalised homosexuality.
  • 1982
    Northern Ireland decriminalised homosexuality.
  • 1994
    The age of consent for gay men was lowered from 21 to 18.
  • 2000
    Section 28 – a clause that outlawed the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in schools – was repealed in Scotland.
  • 2001
    The age of consent for gay men was further lowered to 16.
  • 2003
    Section 28 was repealed across the rest of the UK.
  • 2004
    Civil partnerships were legalised, offering same-sex couples the same legal standing as married heterosexuals. And the Gender Recognition Act was passed, allowing people the legal right to change their gender from the one assigned to them at birth.
  • 2009
    Law passed making it easier for same-sex couples to be recognised as the legal parents of their child.
  • 2010
    The Equality Act was passed, which legally banned the discrimination of homosexuality.
  • 2014
    It became legal for same-sex partners to marry — on 26 March in England & Wales and on 31 December in Scotland.

What was Section 28?

Gay rights: Life under Section 28

It is 30 years since Section 28 was introduced, but what effect did it have?

LGBTQI+ across the 大象传媒

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