50 years since the Sexual Offences Act 1967: A Conservative LGBT history A true LGBT champion

Conservative Party leader First out trans Conservative councillor backs Labour’s Justine Greening candidate stands in local Civil Partnerships becomes the elections in Bill. first out female Haringey. Cabinet Minister 2005 2017 2016 2006 Andy Street elected 2004 Metro-Mayor of Alan Duncan comes Nick Herbert 2013 Birmingham out, becoming becomes the Equal Marriage the first out first out Bill receives Royal Conservative Conservative Assent. MP. candidate to be elected as an MP. 2002 2009 Conservative Peer Lord Arran becomes reintroduces the Bill; it receives the first 2010 Royal Assent in July. Lord Arran Conservative also sponsored a bill for the Party leader More out protection of badgers. When asked why to address a Gay Conservative this bill had failed whereas decriminalising Pride event. MPs elected than all had succeeded. the other parties put Arran replied, “There are not many 1994 together. badgers in the House of Lords.” 1991 Edwina Currie tables an Major 1976 amendment government 1967 lowering the gay removes bar Conservative age of consent to 16. to gays in Group for This amendment was senior civil Homosexual defeated. service positions. Equality formed. Secretary of State 1965 Conservative MP Humphrey for Health and Social Berkeley introduces a Thatcher Government Security Norman Private Members Bill to decriminalises Fowler decriminalise homosexual homosexuality commissions a acts in line with the Wolfenden Report. in Scotland and national HIV/ Northern Ireland. AIDS-awareness campaign. 1984 Churchill government sets up 1980/82 a Departmental Committee to Conservative MP consider homosexual offences Matthew Parris comes out in a late 1954 night speech to the Commons. Nobody notices. 1984 Conservative Peer 1958 Lord Montagu and two others arrested and convicted for Conservative MP Ian Harvey arrested in flagrante with a guardsman in the bushes of St "consensual homosexual James’s Park. On hearing the news, Churchill remarked, “On the coldest night of the year? It offences". makes you proud to be British.” The men were both fined £5. Harvey paid the guardsman’s fine.