Abstract
This chapter looks at the impact of legislation, the criminalisation of gay men and the journey toward equal treatment for LGBT people in the UK. It begins to contextualise the inequality of treatment by examining how some of this legislation has impacted on the lives of individuals, providing examples of particular prosecutions including those of Oscar Wilde and Radclyffe Hall’s work. It traces the gradual liberalisation of the legislative framework concerning LGBT rights in Britain. Legislation sanctioning gay male sexuality has implicitly impacted on lesbian visibility and experience. Whilst not directly legislated against, lesbians have not had the same legal rights as heterosexual women (e.g. regarding marriage and inheritance). Aspects of legislation post-Wolfenden, Section 28 of the Local Government Act and the gradual legislative change toward equal rights are charted, along with key recent legislation relating to the LGBT community and their rights.
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Knight, C., Wilson, K. (2016). Legislation: The Journey Towards Equality for LGBT People. In: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans People (LGBT) and the Criminal Justice System. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-49698-0_3
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