LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH

A celebration of LGBT+ History Month by the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber LGBT+ Committee highlighting positive actions and changes over the years The Wolfenden Committee publishes a report recommending that ‘homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in 1957 private should no longer be a criminal offence’. The then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, and the British Medical Association backed the recommendation. Despite this, the Conservative Government rejected the recommendations.

The Nullity of Marriage Act was passed by the Conservative Government.

The Act explicitly banned same-sex marriages in and 1971 Wales.

The House of Commons moves to reduce the for same-sex relations between men to the age of 16.

The vote was defeated and the age of consent was instead 1994 lowered to 18. An age of consent for same-sex relations between women was not set.

The age of consent for same-sex relations between men was lowered to 16, having previously been lowered from 21 to 18 in 1994. 2001 The age of consent was now the same for same-sex relations and hetrosexual relations.

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 was passed, giving same- sex couples the same rights and responsibilities as married hetrosexual couples in the UK (although in N Ireland same-sex adoption was exempt). 2004 The Gender Recognition Act 2004 gave trans people full legal recognition in their appropriate gender. The Act allows trans people to acquire a new birth certificate.

The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013 officially comes into force, with the first saame-sex marriages in England and Wales taking place on 29 March 2014. 2014 The decriminalises sex between two 1967 men over the age of 21 and ‘in private’. It did not extend to the Merchant Navy or the Armed forces. In fact, homosexual acts in the Merchant Navy were only decriminalised in 2017. The Sexual Offences Act 1967 also didn’t apply to , , the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Conservative Prime Minister, , introduced of the Local Government Act 1988. The Act stated that a local authority “shall not intentionally promote 1988 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 Labour Government in the House of Commons voted to lower the age of consent for same-sex relations between men to 16 in England. 1998 However, a month later, the House of Lords, where the Conservatives were still the largest political group, defeated the clause.

The Labour Government repeal Section 28 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, lifting the ban on local authorities from “the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of 2003 homosexuality”. The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations become law in the UK, making it illegal to discriminate against lesbian, and bisexual people in the workplace.

The brings together previous legislation 2010 relating to LGBT+ and officially adds gender reassignment as a protected characteristic for the first time.

The Government issued a posthumous pardon to all gay and bisexual men who were convicted under pernicious sexual 2017 offences laws in the last century. community against a police raid that took place in the early hours of 28 June 1969 at the Stone- wall Inn, located in the Greenwich Vil- lage neighbourhood of Manhattan, New York City. They are widely considered to constitute the single most important event versary of the Stone- leading to the gay wall riots of 1969) liberation movement with approximately and the modern fight The first gay 2000 participants. for LGBT rights in the march took place The choice of the United States. in November 1970 date was a show of with 150 men walk- solidarity with the In 1983 the march ing through Highbury LGBT community in was renamed “Les- Fields in North Lon- America. don. The first official bian and ”. In 1984 a group of UK Gay Pride Rally The Riots activists began col- was held in London were a series of lecting money in sup- on 1 July 1972 (cho- spontaneous, violent port of the miners’ sen as the nearest demonstrations by strike. The story of Saturday to the anni- members of the gay ‘Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners’ strand of Labour Party a pretended family (LGSM) was depicted Policy in the years to relationship”. The in the 2014 film come. Pride march had now ‘Pride’. The film tells become a focal point of the unlikely union The controversy of for anti-discrimina- of two communi- Section 28 of the tion protests amongst ties poles apart, who Local Government Act the LGBT commu- shared a common 1988 led to numbers nity. From its humble struggle against Tory increasing on the beginnings of just oppression. march in protest that 150 men, 1988 saw year. Enacted on 24 40,000 people attend In 1985, as a show May 1988, the amend- the event. of solidarity and ment stated that a respect, miners from local authority “shall By the 1990s, Pride across the country not intentionally pro- had become more brought their banners mote homosexuality of a carnival event. and bands and led or publish material There were large park . It was with the intention of gatherings and a fair also a block vote by promoting homosex- after the marches the National Union uality” or “promote up until 2003. ‘Pride of Mineworkers at the teaching in any London’ was formed the TUC conference maintained school in 2004. Since 2004 that ensured equali- of the acceptability a political rally in ties became a central of homosexuality as has been held straight after the parade, and more recently Pride London has organ- ised several other events in the centre of London on Pride Day including, in 2006, ‘Drag Idol’ in , a women’s stage in Soho and a party in Soho Square.

In 1992 London was selected to hold the first with attendance put at 100,000. London again held EuroPride in 2006 with an estimated 600,000 partici- pants. The 2012 event was World Pride, though this was to be the last event organised by Pride London.

Other cities now host Pride events. started hosting its own Pride parade in 2006 and as with London, the numbers attending grow year on year. The parades are not just attended by members of the LGBT+ community. The events are a cel- ebration of acceptance and equality and are attended by family and friends of the community too.

Even today the roots of the parade and the links to the Stonewall Riots are remembered.

Leeds Pride 2017 it’s for us as members of “ the LGBT+ community to educate others as to why certain language is no longer appropriate in daily life

I'm lucky I haven't suffered physical homophobia, although I and my partner have had occasions of verbal abuse in the city.

I have also been lucky as to have not experienced homophobia within my workplace although it did take several years for me to be confident enough to be out at work.

I don't see my sexuality as an obstacle in my role nor have I found it to be a major issue with my peers.

On occasion people do use language that would be deemed as homophobic and it’s for us, as members of the LGBT+ community, to educate others as to why certain language is no longer appropriate in daily life.

For me, coming out was an awful experience, but the support of my friends kept my head up until the impact had settled.

Since coming out I joined the York Pride Committee in the hope that the work we do makes everyday life easier for other LGBT+ people.

Have things improved? We have rights now that we couldn't dream of having in the past. These were hard fought for, but there is so much more to do, especially in the representation of our Trans family. David Carr, Unite member in York Coming out was greeted “ with so much hate from my family and friends that they disowned me

In 1986 I was young free and single, it had taken me most of my teenage years to gather up enough courage confidence to confide in my family and friends that I was gay.

It was only then my nightmare began.

I couldn’t have guessed what was going to happen next. Coming out was greeted with so much hate from my family and friends that they disowned me and kicked me out of my family home and told me that I had disgraced the family and not to come back.

I thought, naively, that because I was full of happiness, my family and friends would be happy for me too. I was hoping they would love me for who I am and not for what I was, which was so far from the truth.

It wasn't long before I met someone and fell in love, like most young people. I thought it would be acceptable to walk down the street holding my girlfriend's hand and showing her the affection I had always wanted to give freely, I thought everyone would be happy for me to be in love. How wrong I was.

I wanted everyone to accept the fact that I only wanted to be able to love the person I was with. But it didn’t turn out like this. We were met with hatred and ignorance through all walks of society and, in a way, you wondered whether it was worth coming out. People’s attitudes towards you on the street were to look at you and insult you by calling Living in you names such as dyke, freak and any other constant names they could come up with. “ fear was Along with the name calling, you would be spat at and abused both verbally and no way to live physically, when all you wanted to do was love the person you were with while walking down street. Living in constant fear was no way to live.

Today, many young people don’t fully understand how far we have come in 40+ yrs. Although there is still ignorance in some people outside the LGBT+ community, it is more accepted than years ago.

it’s now time The younger LGBT+ community have for the young the older generation to look up to, “ who have lobbied, demonstrated and generations to fought for the rights we have today take over the and it’s now time for the younger generations to take over the mantle mantle and and continue the fight and fight on until we have equality across the whole continue the fight of the LGBT+ community.

Equality has come at a cost. We have lost people we have loved, had friends and loved ones hospitalised, people beaten up beyond recognition. But out of all this hurt we have learned that we have to look back at our history to make a better future for all. But out of all this hurt we have “ learned that we have to look back at our history to make a better future for all Gillian Pidd-Haytack, Branch Secretary I was extremely worried “about coming out as I had heard of some horror stories from friends

Back in the 1980s I was a teenager and about to come out to my family.

I was extremely worried about coming out as I had heard of some horror stories from friends about what they had gone through when they had come out to their families.

I was so worried I was going to lose my family and friends because of my sexuality. I had prepared myself for the rejection to come, but felt I had to be open and honest with them. I wanted to live my life for who I was and not live a lie.

There were two main reasons I needed to tell my parents. One reason was that if I never told them and they had passed away I would have felt that they didn’t know me properly and didn’t get the chance to see the real I was me. The second reason was that I was living a lie. I had fallen in love with a very one of beautiful young lady and wanted to be “ inclusive within the family. the

I had no need to worry. I was one of the lucky ones lucky ones as my family totally supported as my family me in my decision. totally But on the flip side, even though I had the support from my family and some friends, supported me the village where I had lived all my life made me feel very vulnerable and lonely in my decision and I felt like an outcast to the point where I was physically assaulted and verbally abused by women in the village. I felt I was being treated like some kind of freak.

This behaviour resulted in me having to leave my job and family and move away to a different town completely. I was very fortunate that my partner gave me all the help and support through this traumatic time in my life. I will be forever I was very grateful to my partner and my parents fortunate that as they made me believe in myself “ and made me the person I am today. my partner gave Although when I came out it was a bad me all the help experience, I count myself as one of the lucky ones as I had a friend who I and support had known for years who was out with friends and was viciously attacked through this outside a night club on a cold January night. They were found unconscious traumatic time in the early hours of the morning. The attack left her with brain damage and in my life lasting physical injuries.

Just before I got married, I spoke to her and she was looking forward to her 40th birthday as she had said life begins at 40. Sadly, she sadly passed away a few months later and never got to see that day.

Few people know what you go through in you private life, but everyone should be treated as an equal and enjoy life for what it is.

Live life to the full and be who you wish to be and love who you wish to love. Few people know what you go through in your private life, but everyone “ should be treated as an equal and enjoy life for what it is Jo Boyes, Unite member North East, Yorkshire and the Humber LGBT+ Committee

We have a vibrant LGBT+ committee who are dedicated to our LGBT+ membership both in and outside of the workplace.

The Committee raises awareness and campaigns for LGBT+ equality, and encourage LGBT+ workers to join and become active in our union.

It’s really important we have as much involvement as possible from our LGBT+ members.

We invite LGBT+ members and reps to attend our committee meetings on 20 May, 19 August, 25 November 2019 (all meeting are 11am-3pm) rotating at different venues around the region.

Please contact our regional office on 0113 236 4830 for further details.

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