#OnThisDay, 23 May 1988, four women storm the BBC news studio whilst the news is live on air, protesting the introduction of Section 28. Section 28 banned the “promotion of homosexuality” by local government in the UK, and was intended to stop LGBT+ campaigns for equal rights.
Oh look. #Section28 has just returned via the backdoor, which is how a lot of unpleasantness takes root in the #UK these days.
"...Government sources told BBC News about plans to ban sex education for under-nines in [#England], as well as teaching about gender identity, on Wednesday.
"Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new guidance would ensure children were not 'exposed to disturbing content'..."
When I saw what currently happens in the US in terms of #DontSayGay and other #AntiLgbtLegislation, I felt the need to write about a generation of young #queer people who grew up with #SameSexMarriage and #ComingOut vlogs on #YouTube, who never had to look for emergency exits in gay bars in their lives before
"Were the current Westminster contingent to be suddenly transported 20 years into the past, I have no confidence at all that the repeal of Section 28 would have happened – even as Labour continue to make hay of it on social media."
I saw, this morning, that today marks 20 years since #Section28 was abolished.
S28 was a piece of legal queerbashing - now understood as "Don't Say Gay" laws - it (kinda) forbade schools from discussing homsexuality as a "pretended family relationship"
This legislation plagued me throughout my schooling - coming in just as I started and lasting to 2 years after I finished.
So i was watching a Queer Tiktok compilation on YouTube and one clip allowed me to rediscover a memory,the creator said "I wish Drag Queens tried to recruit me in school,all i got was the Navy"
It reminded me that i was literally 15 when the Army came to my school to try and put it in people's minds that they should sign up. 15. And yet,no one talks about predatory tactics like this...no,they just focus on misinformation about the LGBTQIA+ Community
Florida passes a full #antitrans bathroom bill. #DeSantis to sign it imminently. It makes it a law to use a toilet based on ‘your biology at birth’. "Don't Say Gay" bill also expanded up to 8th grade: (de facto #section28 )
Prediction: this will spread to ~10 other states in the next year. 5 will pass it. #Tories will try it here after they get drubbed tonight.