WOKE – the fight for human rights 1

The right to be gay – a centuries long struggle

Homosexuality has been around as long as humans have been around. But even before homo sapiens appeared on the planet animals were having same sex relationships. A 2019 review found same-sex sexual behaviour in more than 1,500 animal species. It has been particularly well documented in mammals and birds. In some animals it is an occasional behaviour, while in others, individuals can show a long-term or preferential attraction to members of the same sex - domestic rams are one of the better-studied examples.

Although same sex relationships have had a degree of acceptance in some societies throughout human history they have usually been condemned, often on religious grounds.

In England gay sex was punishable by death until as recently as 1861, the last victims being two men hanged in 1835.

In 1895 Oscar Wilde was sent to prison on the charge of gross indecency. Alan Turning of Bletchley Park fame was convicted of the same charge in 1952 but escaped a prison sentence by accepting treatment of libido reducing drugs. He committed suicide in 1954.

In 1957 The Wolfenden Report recommended decriminalisation, but it took another 10 years before the 1967 Sexual Offences Act allowed gay relationships for those over 21 in private.

The rise of AIDS in the1980’s and the Thatcher government bringing in Section 28 banning local authority schools from educating (“promoting”) about same sex relationships intensified the antagonism towards gay men.

Section 28 had long‑lasting effects: young people grew up without support, bullying increased, youth groups were shut down. It is widely regarded today as a deeply harmful policy.

Section 28 was finally repealed in 2003 and was followed a year later by the Civil partnership Act. Finally in 2013 same sex marriage was legalised in England and Wales.

So, this long, long struggle for people to love who they please is finally over. Not a bit of it.

Matthew Parris wrote in The Times recently:

“Abuse of Wes Streeting proves that intolerance persists.” Streeting, the first openly gay defence secretary, reported he had received an unbelievable volume of online homophobic abuse since his appointment. Parris, a gay man himself, who was an MP when Thatcher was PM says, gay men of his generation have had to face abuse all their lives and particularly in the Thatcher era in 1988 when Section 28 was introduced into a local government bill:

A local authority shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality; nor promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.

Paris writes about the situation now:

“Being gay is officially fine. John Major broke decades-thick ice by reducing the age of gay male consent to 18. Tony Blair reduced it further and introduced civil partnerships. David Cameron gave us marriage.

He says that despite all the changes there remains an undercurrent of abuse.

Streeting is right to notice the weather in parts of social media, because what’s anonymous is part of the collective unconscious of a nation.

Paris writes: legislation has done all it can, but you cannot legislate against abuse.

It is 69 years since the Wolfenden opened the door in England and Wales for the acceptance of same sex relationships, yet some still oppose that right - far too Woke for them.

Trans Rights

The Trans human rights struggle has now become the centre of gender politics. Expect decades to pass before we as a society reach any unified consensus on all the issues involved. This is not to be dismissed as “woke” but is yet another step along the road of human rights.