A brief history of LGBTQ+ in the UK
History always shocks more when it’s within touching distance. Although we live in a fast paced world and news are often fleeting, when you consider that same sex marriage was illegal until 2013 and homosexuality was not allowed to be acknowledged by councils and education bodies until 2003 (Section 28 repeal), that Black Pride only begun in 2005 and schools have only started teaching about same sex relationships and gender identity in 2018, it really lands on how current the message is.
We’ve seen some huge landmark victories for the LGBTQ+ community in the last 20 years. A brief timeline of developments and some background history can be found in the links below:
Key dates for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality
Stonewall riots and modern day history of the LGBT movement (3min 54sec)
History of LGBT rights in the UK (2min 11 sec)
Why Pride is STILL important
Just looking at some of the headlines in the past couple of weeks shows us how far we’ve come but also how far we have to go. Although the Supreme Court voted against a law that would protect employers who fired people just on the premise of them being LGBTQ+, the fact that it was even being debated in 2020 is a worry in its own right.
From Poland to Hungary and across the wider world, threats are constantly being raised against progress, meaning that visibility and the fight for equality are now as relevant as ever.
Pride serves as both a form of celebration for the progress made, but also as a stark reminder of the work that still remains to be done.
Links & References
What are the blood donation rules globally for gay and bisexual men?
Why Pride Is Still So Important In 2019, According To 7 Members Of The UK’s LGBTQ Community
This Instagram account teaches you the LGBTQ history you never learned in school