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Now Repeal Section 28

WILL JULY finally see the end of Section 28 in England and Wales? Back in 1988 a few London boroughs were making small grants to lesbian and gay advice groups. Tabloid papers ranted about 'perversion on the rates' and Thatcher's Tories seized on the issue, adding a clause banning local authorities from "promoting homosexuality'' to a bill to privatise council services.

Lionel Wright

This aimed to whip up hatred towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and sow divisions between workers. Section 28 threw down the gauntlet to a whole generation of lesbians and gays.

Faced with the first major anti-gay law for 100 years, tens of thousands attended demonstrations, defiantly came out or both. Most major unions passed anti-S.28 motions and launched lesbian and gay sections.

There has never been a successful prosecution under the Section 28 but it wreaked havoc with services for the six million strong LGBT community. Many young lesbians and gays encounter prejudice and trauma with 35% getting involved in self-harm.

Subsequent legislation took schools out of council control so S.28 stopped applying in education. But its shadow still blights sex education activity, hindering the flow of neutral and positive information all young people need to lead lives free from confusion and self-hatred.

In March the Commons overwhelmingly carried a new clause to repeal S.28. An unsuccessful Tory amendment tried to replace it with a ban on 'promotion of any sexuality' - which would have allowed handfuls of parents to trigger school ballots against sex education lessons.

A campaign by LGBT groups and trade unions led to the Scottish Parliament repealing the Section. South of the border Blair tried to appease the religious right with parallel legislation prohibiting "direct promotion of sexual orientation" and forcing teachers to stress the "importance... of marriage and family life".

The words 'lesbian' 'gay' and 'bisexual' don't appear in these sex education guidelines. This tactic failed, with the House of Lords throwing out repeal but the parallel conservative sex education laws passed into law. This left the situation worse than before.

The Lords will soon vote on the latest repeal proposal and ermined bigots will try to revive Son of Section 28.

The Socialist Party Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Group (LGBT) demands:-

• Full repeal of Section 28

• The scrapping of all discriminatory sex education guidelines

• A massive increase in spending on sex education and health advice for young people of all sexualities

For more information on the Socialist Party LGBT Group ring Manny on 020 8988 8772 or Lionel on 020 7403 1697.