Section 28

Tagline "Is this Labour's idea of a comprehensive education?" above an image of three books with the titles "Young, Gay and Proud", "Police: Out of School!" and "The playbook for kids about sex" — Conservative Party poster criticising the Labour Party's support for LGBT education for the 1987 general election campaign, the year before Section 28 was enacted

Section 28 or Clause 28^[a] was a legislative designation for a series of laws across Britain that prohibited the "promotion of homosexuality" by local authorities. Introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government, it was in effect from 1988 to 2000 in Scotland and from 1988 to 2003 in England and Wales. It caused many organisations such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender student support groups to close, limit their activities or self-censor.^[2]

The law is named after Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which added Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986.^[3] Enacted on 24 May 1988, the amendment stated 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teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".^[4] It was repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the new Scottish Parliament, and on 18 November 2003 in England and Wales by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.^[5]

^ Cite error: The named reference 4letter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Knitting Circle 1989 Section 28 gleanings". Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2006.
^ Section 28 Archived 8 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Gay and Lesbian Humanist. Created 2000-05-07, Last updated Sunday, 12 February 2006. Accessed 1 July 2006.
^ Local Government Act 1988 (c. 9), section 28. Accessed 1 July 2006 on opsi.gov.uk.
^ "Local Government Act 2003". UK Government. Retrieved 30 May 2015.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[4letter-1] Cite error: The named reference 4letter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] "Knitting Circle 1989 Section 28 gleanings". Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2006.

[4] Section 28 Archived 8 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Gay and Lesbian Humanist. Created 2000-05-07, Last updated Sunday, 12 February 2006. Accessed 1 July 2006.

[5] Local Government Act 1988 (c. 9), section 28. Accessed 1 July 2006 on opsi.gov.uk.

[6] "Local Government Act 2003". UK Government. Retrieved 30 May 2015.

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