vagina_museum

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

In 1980s Britain, homophobia was rising. This was in part due to increasing visibility of LGBT+ people as laws criminalising homosexual sex were repealed, in part due to the AIDS epidemic, and in part due to joint activism between miners' unions and LGBT+ groups.

Spurious stories began appearing in the media regarding various texts said to be read in schools. Many of the books referenced were fairly banal, and also weren't present in schools.

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

Nevertheless, the governing Conservative party leaned into the moral panic, repeating spurious stories. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said "Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay. All of those children are being cheated of a sound start in life."

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

The 1987 general election included Conservatives making all sorts of unevidenced claims, such as that five year olds were being taught about the specifics of how two men had sex (they weren't). Attack posters about homosexuality were used, too.

1987 election poster designed by
Saatchi & Saatchi for the Conservative Party. Courtesy of Conservative Party Archive.

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

The Conservatives won the election by a landslide, and felt they had the mandate to begin enacting their rhetoric. In their Local Government Act of 1988, they included Section 28, a provision which amended a previous Act to include:
(1) A local authority shall not—
(a) intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality;
(b) promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

There was campaigning from many groups before the legislation was passed. The wording of Section 28 was ultimately tempered due to interventions from the arts sector, who were concerned about broader arts censorship; and specific exemptions for health were included.

The main opposition party, Labour, initially did not oppose the legislation, but changed their course when their rivals, the Liberal Democrats, came out against it.

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

The LGBT+ community mobilised in opposition to Section 28. Actor Sir Ian McKellan came out in a radio interview in response. Lesbians invaded a BBC news broadcast, chaining themselves to desks and sitting on chairs to make themselves heard. Marches took place across the country.

Image: London march in April 1988, Rick Colls/Rex/Shutterstock

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

Despite the activism and advocacy work, Section 28 passed on 24th May 1988. The wording of the legislation was vague and somewhat circular. Multiple clarifications were issued almost immediately.

In the 15 years Section 28 was in effect, there was not a single prosecution. This was largely because under such vague wording, there was a lot of self-censorship among teachers and local authorities.

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

A 1991 survey found that 86% of young people had never received any information about lesbians, including that they exist, at school.

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

Activists worked tirelessly for the entire time that Section 28 was in effect. They campaigned for repeal, and the community mobilised to try to provide information in spaces where it was not prohibited.

Section 28 was repealed in Scotland in 2000, and in 2003 in the rest of the UK, following more than a decade of tireless campaigning to repeal the legislation.

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

The impact of a generation of people receiving next to no education about LGBT+ people existing is difficult to quantify, and difficult to measure. How do you even begin to measure the stigma, and the impact of over a decade of invisibility?

Even in 2014, a Stonewall survey found that 37% of primary school teachers didn't know if they were allowed to teach about LGBT+ issues. And even in 2019, anecdotal reports suggested some librarians thought Section 28 was still in effect.

vagina_museum, 1 day ago

Some politicians who were involved in bringing Section 28 into being, such as Michael Howard, later said their views had changed. Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron apologised for the legislation. And yet, its impact still continues to be felt.

vagina_museum, 2 days ago

The accompanying text also discusses a choice which still needs to be made when having a hysterectomy - albeit in rather 1910 terms:
"The question of leaving one ovary, or a portion of an ovary, in the pelvis has agitated men. It is certain that removal of both ovaries at once from a woman who has not yet passed the menopause results in more serious nervous disturbances than when ovarian tissue is left. After the menopause the removal of both ovaries causes less disturbance."

vagina_museum, 2 days ago

When having a hysterectomy, there's often a decision to be made as to whether to leave one or both ovaries in place. After menopause, it's usually recommended to remove them, due to cancer risk. Before menopause, if the ovaries are removed, the body will go through menopause as the ovaries are no longer present to produce hormones - this is not "nervous disturbances". A lot of the time, unless there's a very good medical reason to leave them in or take them out, the choice is yours.

vagina_museum, 6 days ago

This weekend is your last chance to visit Kween Kream at the Vagina Museum and enjoy some of their iconic sweet treats. They'll be open 11am-4pm today, Saturday and Sunday. After that, you'll be able to connect with them on their website if you'd like a private commission https://kweenkream.co.uk/

vagina_museum, 6 days ago

It's tough out there at the moment. Make sure you don't take the independent businesses and charities you love for granted. Take every opportunity to show your support and visit these places you love, to keep them in the world. https://www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/donate

vagina_museum, 8 days ago

Small children are welcome in the Vagina Museum on any days, although on Wednesday mornings, we hold special viewing sessions where your little ones can be as noisy as they like! Admission is, as always, free https://www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/accessmornings

vagina_museum, 8 days ago

We don't expect a small child to understand everything in our exhibitions, just like another museum wouldn't expect a small child to understand the social context of German Expressionism or advanced sauropod taxonomy. A museum is a part of a journey of learning - and museums are fun for kids!