LGBT rights in Scotland
Encyclopedia
LGBT rights in Scotland have advanced in the late 20th and in the early years of the 21st century, though less quickly than in England and Wales
.
When the Report of the Departmental Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution (better known as the Wolfenden Report
) was published in 1957 and recommended that "homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence", the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
voted to reject the proposals at its next General Assembly in 1958.
Within a decade, the UK parliament had voted to pass the Sexual Offences Act 1967
which provided for a limited decriminalisation of homosexual acts, though it extended only to England and Wales
. Homosexual activities were legalised in Scotland, on the same basis as in the 1967 Act, by section 80 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980
, which came into force on 1 February 1981.
Legislation was adopted in Scotland, coming into effect on 28 September 2009, that allowed gay couples to adopt children.
Section 2A
, the legislation that prevented the promotion of homosexuality, was repealed in Scotland within the first two years of the existence of the Scottish Parliament
, by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000.
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
.
When the Report of the Departmental Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution (better known as the Wolfenden Report
Wolfenden report
The Report of the Departmental Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution was published in Britain on 4 September 1957 after a succession of well-known men, including Lord Montagu, Michael Pitt-Rivers and Peter Wildeblood, were convicted of homosexual offences.-The committee:The...
) was published in 1957 and recommended that "homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence", the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
voted to reject the proposals at its next General Assembly in 1958.
Within a decade, the UK parliament had voted to pass the Sexual Offences Act 1967
Sexual Offences Act 1967
The Sexual Offences Act 1967 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom . It decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men, both of whom had to have attained the age of 21. The Act applied only to England and Wales and did not cover the Merchant Navy or the Armed Forces...
which provided for a limited decriminalisation of homosexual acts, though it extended only to England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
. Homosexual activities were legalised in Scotland, on the same basis as in the 1967 Act, by section 80 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980
Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980
The Criminal Justice Act 1980 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom . It decriminalized private homosexual acts between two consenting adults in Scotland:"Subject to the provisions of this section, a homosexual act in private shall not be an offence provided that the parties consent...
, which came into force on 1 February 1981.
Legislation was adopted in Scotland, coming into effect on 28 September 2009, that allowed gay couples to adopt children.
Section 2A
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
, the legislation that prevented the promotion of homosexuality, was repealed in Scotland within the first two years of the existence of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000.
See also
- LGBT rights in the United Kingdom
- LGBT rights by country