Gay men need to talk straight about paedophilia | LGBTQ+ rights | The Guardian

Contents:

• LOVE WS! AGE OF NSENT EQUALISED FOR GAY AND BI MEN
• THE AGE OF NSENT FOR GAY AND BI MEN WAS FALLY EQUALISED 20 YEARS AGO TODAY, MARKG A MAMMOTH VICTORY FOR LOVE
• EQUAL AGE OF NSENT: A PREHENSIVE HISTORY OF THE BATTLE FOR GAY PARY
• GAY AGE OF CONSENT: THE VOTE ON LEGALY AT 18
• GAY MEN NEED TO TALK STRAIGHT ABOUT PAEDOPHILIA

LOVE WS! AGE OF NSENT EQUALISED FOR GAY AND BI MEN

To mark LGBT + History Month, this blog post draws on a recently released Prime Mister’s Office file which documents a signifint advance gay rights soon after the turn of the lennium. The Sexual Offenc Act of 1967 reprented a partial crimalisatn of male homosexualy: allowed two men to have sex private England and Wal provid they were over 21; much later, this provisn was extend to Stland and Northern Ireland.

Movg the amendment on 21 Febary 1994, Mrs Currie clared: ‘It is the first time over a quarter of a century that the age of nsent for homosexuals has been discsed by the Hoe of Commons. The next polician to take up the mantle and advote for change on the age of nsent for gay men was Jack Straw, who served the Cabet om 1997 to 2010 unr the Labour ernments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

THE AGE OF NSENT FOR GAY AND BI MEN WAS FALLY EQUALISED 20 YEARS AGO TODAY, MARKG A MAMMOTH VICTORY FOR LOVE

Note the formaly of the phrase ‘Homosexual rights’ which is ed to scribe the document (and appears on the file ver) rather than ‘Gay rights’, for example, but this is to be expected when referrg to ernmental documents of this perd. In this letter to John Prtt, the Home Secretary’s stated aim is clear: ‘the purpose of this letter is to seek lleagu’ agreement to rcg the homosexual age of nsent to sixteen’.

At the age of 17, 1994 Mr Sutherland had plaed to the Commissn that the higher age of nsent for homosexuals (18) as opposed to that for heterosexuals (16) was a breach of his right to privacy unr Article 8 of the European Conventn for the Protectn of Human Rights and his right not to be discrimated agast his private life unr Article 14. On 8 January 2001, the Sexual Offenc (Amendment) Act fally me to force, rcg the age of nsent for gay and bisexual men to 16 England, Stland and Wal, and 17 Northern Ireland.

The Sexual Offenc Act 1967 ma chang so that homosexual men over the age of 21 uld have sexual relatnships, 1994 a further change saw rced to those aged over Sexual Offenc (Amendment) Act 2000 ma the ag of legal nsent for heterosexuals and homosexuals equal and the legal age of nsent for homosexual people was changed to 16.

EQUAL AGE OF NSENT: A PREHENSIVE HISTORY OF THE BATTLE FOR GAY PARY

Bee of the way the legislatn was drafted MPs who voted for the age of homosexual nsent to be lowered to 16 were at the same time also votg for the age at which girls uld be subject to buggery to be lowered om 18 to 16. In rponse, the Hoe of Lords passed a promise amendment which kept the age for buggery at 18 for boys and girls, but left tact the provisns the Government Bill which permted other homosexual acts at 16.

At the time Northern Ireland, the heterosexual age of nsent was 17, so the age of nsent for buggery of a male and homosexual acts the Provce was rced om 18 to 17, not 16.

GAY AGE OF CONSENT: THE VOTE ON LEGALY AT 18

Legimisg homosexual acts volvg teenage boys threatens that by creasg the likelihood that they will be drawn to homosexualy, nyg them the opportuny of tradnal marriage and havg children.

GAY MEN NEED TO TALK STRAIGHT ABOUT PAEDOPHILIA

Do not be ceived: Neher the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostut nor homosexual offenrs nor thiev nor the greedy nor dnkards nor slanrers nor swdlers will her the kgdom of God. The law means that for the first time Brish legal history, the age of nsent for heterosexual and homosexual men and women is now 16 England, Wal and Stland and 17 Northern Ireland - equalisg the age for all.