Legal equality
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Since Stonewall was founded in 1989, we’ve seen amazing legal changes for LGBT equality in the UK. This is good news for everyone, because changing laws to ban discrimination against people makes it clear that homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are not acceptable. It helps to change attitudes so that other people in society welcome LGBT people as equals. There is still a lot of work to be done, particularly for trans people’s rights.
Some important legal changes that have affected LGBT people in the UK
2000: Government lifts the ban on lesbians and gay men serving in the Armed Forces.
Before 2000, gay and lesbian people could not serve in the Armed Forces. They would have to keep their sexual orientation secret or they could be fired.
2001: Age of consent for gay/bi men is lowered to 16.
Sex between men was illegal until 1967, when the Sexual Offences Act came into force making it legal for men aged 21 or above. In 1994 that age was lowered to 18 and in 2001 it was lowered again...
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