"..a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality 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”.
It's the 30th anniversary of The Local Government Act 1988 and it's infamous Section 28. It's worth reminding how things were at the time, a quick peck between two men on Eastenders generated massive controversy and to The Sun newspaper being gay was probably the worst thing you could be, god help you if you had a left wing standpoint as well. Despite two women running into the Six O'clock News studio and other efforts to stop the bill it was passed and remained on the statute books until it's repeal 2003.
The result was to stop any queer literature appearing in public or school library's whether it was overtly pro LGBT or just featured a LGBT character and local authorities weren't buying it, then it probably wasn't going to get published. But it wasn't authors that were the target of this law its was a sop to homophobia and an imagined morel panic where leftie teachers were planning to make children gay.
Over thirty years later its impossible not to make parallels between then and the anti-trans media coverage with those won't somebody think of the children headlines and conspiracies thoeries almost being cut and pasted from those times.
Today Eric and Martin are wondering when Jenny is going to put down her avocado toast and move out.
I must confess that Clause 28 really helped. I'm only trans because I saw Danny La Rue. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSilliness aside, how did anyone think this would help? Or am I blinded by hindsight and today's acceptance and research? Questions, questions. :-)
Let's hope the antitrans folk also end up in history's dustbin.