February is LGBT+ History Month, an annual celebration that provides an opportunity to reflect and learn about the issues faced by members of the LGBT+ community, and to promote an inclusive modern society.
We’re proud to share this story from Joe, Customer Service Agent, where he shines a light on Section 28 – a key piece of UK’s LGBT+ history and how it impacted him and others in the community.
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I am a Gay man now in my mid-thirties. That means that I was born, when I was least expecting it, into 1980’s Britain. It also meant that I started school some time in 1989, less than a year after these dubious ideals became enforceable law. And I didn’t graduate 6th Form college until mid-2003, leaving before the restrictions were finally repealed. It is also worth pointing out that they were not replaced with any alternative legislations for about seven years, by which time I had also graduated from university, and started my first proper job.
This timeline means that my entire journey through formal Education and the early days of my career were impeded by not being able to truly be myself in the classroom, the workplace, or most other public settings. One of the cruel things about living through Section 28 was that it was even forbidden to talk about the process itself, and so most people were therefore unaware that it existed. Without an open dialogue it is difficult to bring about change.
Whilst I consider myself lucky that I have never been bullied, I have unfortunately been treated less favourably on a number of occasions, both directly and indirectly. As a direct example, I was not permitted to take a same-sex date to my college Leavers’ Ball, despite the fact that I was no less ‘a leaver’ than any of my peers, my request was mooted as ‘inappropriate’. As an indirect example, PSHE lessons at School involved a number of ‘facts of life’ that would not be relevant to my life, and very little that would. Both of these situations involved other people’s heteronormative assumptions about who I should be. Nowadays, things are largely the other way around; the current legislation means that the onus is on the institution to adapt their provision of services to accommodate a diverse population. This is important, because it means that people can be themselves, and for the most part can do so without fear of consequence.
Being myself at work is something that I try to maintain, and anyone in the workplace that knows me would likely tell you I’m quirky. But as part of a minority, being able to be myself is a luxury I can’t always take for granted. Being ‘other’ often still comes with its challenges. But what I can also do is bear witness to that. If I feel something, or see something, or hear something, I can say something.
It’s important to mark LGBT+ history to ensure we continue to move forward in erasing the stigma towards our LGBT+ community. We mustn’t take legal protections for granted, because they can be taken away at any time. Elsewhere in the world, this has already happened, and continues to happen every year.
The 2010 UK Equalities Act protects people from discrimination, harassment or victimisation in the workplace, and as users of private and public services based on nine protected characteristics, including sex and sexual orientation, gender reassignment, and also marriage and civil partnership (the other protected characteristics are age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (also covering those that don’t hold a religious belief)). This means that colleagues with these protected characteristics must be treated equally, and with dignity and respect.
These days, I’m grateful to be able to work for a forward-thinking employer, that invests in fostering an inclusive workplace culture. I am proud to be a part of PFG’s Be Yourself LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, and contribute towards making this the best place to work. It means a lot to me to be valued for who I am.
What is Section 28?
Section 28 was UK Law between 1988 and 2003 (2000 in Scotland) stating that “a local authority shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality or promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship."
For many who identified as LGBT+, this meant being invisible, and living in fear and secrecy. It meant silence, as there was no social dialogue about Homosexuality. It meant a lack of resource and support, as there were no role-models to look up to. It meant not being able to ‘be yourself’.
For example, a Homosexual Teacher would have been unable to be out to their Students; they would likely have lost their job, and could possibly even have faced criminal proceedings. It meant that many young people were unequipped to figure out who they are.
What it did not mean is that there were no LGBT+ people in the UK during that time. We still existed, we still had to pay taxes and contribute to society just the same, but we were marginalised.
