Contents:
THE AGE OF NSENT FOR GAY AND BI MEN WAS FALLY EQUALISED 20 YEARS AGO TODAY, MARKG A MAMMOTH VICTORY FOR LOVE
Historilly England and Wal the age of nsent for heterosexual terurse for girls was 12, there was no lower age lim for heterosexual terurse for boys, buggery (but not other forms of gay sex) was illegal between men and boys at any age, and there were no explic laws about lbian sex. The Crimal Law Amendment Act 1885 raised the age of nsent for girls to 16, and also troduced the offence of gross cency between mal, effectively makg all kds of gay male sex illegal, irrpective of age.
It did not apply to Stland or Northern Ireland, where gay sex was still illegal. In Augt 1971 young members of the Gay Liberatn Front anised a public rally London to prott at the age of nsent for gay men.
Equivalent legalisatn happened Stland wh the Crimal Jtice (Stland) Act 1980, and Northern Ireland two years later through the Homosexual Offenc (Northern Ireland) Orr 1982. The Sexual Offenc (Amendment) Act 2000 troduced a mon age of nsent of 16 (17 Northern Ireland) for both mal and femal, and for both heterosexual and homosexual acts.