"It's a S" - The 1980s were a time when young gay men were turned to somethg to fear | Natnal AIDS Tst

gay activism in the 1980s uk

Gay rights movement, civil rights movement that advot equal rights for LGBTQ persons—that is, for lbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenr persons, and queer persons—and lls for an end to discrimatn agast LGBTQ persons employment, cred, hog, public acmodatns, and other areas of life.

Contents:

"IT'S A S" - THE 1980S WERE A TIME WHEN YOUNG GAY MEN WERE TURNED TO SOMETHG TO FEAR

While there have, undoubtedly, been signifint ton LGBT history earlier s, I believe the Eighti was a particularly important perd. That saw a major shift towards the emergence of a global gay culture. The gay genie me right out of s ltle pk bottle and to the streets (and the * gay activism in the 1980s uk *

But back the ‘80s, GRID (gay-related immune ficiency as AIDS was first known) was tied to sexualy and somethg to be ashamed of. Lookg back today, the fact that the UK knew so ltle about AIDS, and then did so ltle to warn gay and bisexual men the early days, is sndalo.

GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

1980s timele of major events LGBT (lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr) rights history, cludg homosexualy, gay marriage, gay adoptn, servg the ary, sexual orientatn discrimatn protectn, changg legal genr, donatg blood, age of nsent, and more. * gay activism in the 1980s uk *

But “It’s a S” also ptur the posiv of LGBT+ life at the time: enterg a gay pub for the first time brimmg wh nerv and nocence; the passn and openns of new iends; and of the prec tim spent shapg your own fay.

In 1967, the Sexual Offenc Bill was passed, crimilisg homosexual acts between two long as they were over 21, both nsentg, and nductg any sexual acts wh the privacy of their own hom. The Gay Black Group (formed 1981 by a number of Black and Asian gay and lbian people who found that most LGBTQ+ groups had a lack of mory members, makg hard for them to fd empathy and people to talk to who would unrstand) approached the Greater London Council 1982 to requt fundg.

PROUD: THE FIRST GAY PRI LONDON

* gay activism in the 1980s uk *

Three years later, 1985, they received their fundg and set up the Black Lbian and Gay Centre, which was open to all lbians and gay men. As the knowledge behd grew and people began to realise that was a vis that uld fect people through blood and sex, 1983, gay men were asked not to donate blood.

Sectn 28 banned lol thori om ‘promotg homosexualy’ or ‘pretend fay relatnships’, and prohibed uncils om fundg tnal materials and projects perceived to ‘promote homosexualy’.

At the very end of the , 1989, the untry saw somethg they’d never seen a prime-time soap opera first ever gay kiss, Eastenrs! In the same year, rponse to the Sectn 28 legislatn, actor and gay rights activist Sir Ian McKellen was speakg on BBC Rad 3 about the issu raised by the Act and publicly me out. It was named after the 1969 Stonewall rts New York Cy’s Greenwich Village, and om the outset looked to prevent such attacks as Sectn 28 on lbians, gay and bi people om ever occurrg aga.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY ACTIVISM IN THE 1980S UK

Gay rights movement | Defn & History | Branni .

TOP