20 Imag From the Naked Age of Erotic Gay Theater

Contents:

• STRAIGHT VS. GAY AGE OF CONSENT: THE DIFFERENCE
• GAY MPAIGNERS CELEBRATE LEGAL TONE
• HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY

STRAIGHT VS. GAY AGE OF CONSENT: THE DIFFERENCE

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.

GAY MPAIGNERS CELEBRATE LEGAL TONE

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.

HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY

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. In November 2013 Profsor John Ashton, print of the Faculty of Public Health, said there should be a natnal bate on lowerg the age of nsent (prumably for both gay and straight sex) to 15, as this would make easier for 15-year-olds to get sexual health advice om the NHS.

1982 Homosexual Offenc (Northern Ireland) Orr 1982212121IllegalIllegalIllegalIllegal. For all other homosexual acts the age of nsent was the same as for heterosexual acts.

The age of nsent the Irish Republic is still 17 (as prevly Northern Ireland) for both heterosexual and homosexual acts.

In 1984 the gay band Bronski Beat released an album entled The Age of Consent. Its ner sleeve listed the age of nsent for gay sex different untri of the world. ↑ Williams, Clifford (2021) Courage to Be: Organised Gay Youth England 1967-1990.

Jerry Douglas's Tubstrip, a risque edy set a gay bathhoe, was a popular sensatn when produced onstage 1973-1974, the era of gay liberatn and the sexual revolutn. The play, often dismissed by mastream crics but hailed as "funny, sexy, and important" by the gay prs, ran for 140 performanc off-Broadway, then toured to eight ci over ne months, and returned to Broadway starrg the legendary adult film star Casey Donovan the lead role. Dpe s unprecented succs and acclaim, the play was not officially published until wh the but publitn of the script of the play, this edn clus a foreword by Jordan Schildcrout tled "Tubstrip and The Erotic Theatre of Gay Liberatn", which exam the signifince of the play as one of a wave of erotic gay plays (most of them fotten or lost) that emerged between 1969 and 1974.

He went on to have a major reer gay male pornography, directg numero award-wng films between 1989 and 2007, such as More of a Man, Flh & Blood, Dream Team, and Schildcrout is Associate Profsor of Theatre & Performance at SUNY Purchase. Larry Gilman plays Brian, the gay bathhoe attendant lookg for love the era of sexual liberatn. Lee Barton, reviewg the play for The Advote, lled "funny, sexy, and important, " but wonred whether mastream crics uld "tolerate anythg gay that is so open and healthy.

Some crics regard the tour as "homosexploatn, " but the Philalphia Enquirer lled "somethg of an event the history of gay liberatn...