Key dates for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality

1951Roberta Cowell is the first known British trans woman to undergo reassignment surgery and have her birth certificate changed.

1954The Wolfenden Committee is formed after successions of well-known men are convicted of ‘indecency’, calling into question the legitimacy of the law.

1957The Wolfenden Committee publishes a report, recommending that ‘homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence’. Supporters of this recommendation include the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, and the British Medical Association. Despite this, the recommendations are rejected by the government.

1958The Homosexual Law Reform Society is founded to campaign for the legalisation of same-sex relationships in the UK.

1963The Minorities Research Group becomes the UK’s first lesbian social and political organisation and goes on to publish a monthly journal – Arena Three.

1964The North Western Homosexual Law Reform Committee (NWHLRC) is founded to promote legal and social equality for lesbians, gay men and bi people.

1966Trans support group, The Beaumont Society, is founded to provide information and education to the general public, the medical and legal professions on ‘transvestism’ and to encourage research aimed at fuller understanding.

1967The Sexual Offences Act 1967 decriminalises sex between two men over 21 and ‘in private’. It did not extend to the Merchant Navy or the Armed Forces, or Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, where sex between two men remained illegal.

1969North West Homosexual Law Reform Committee becomes a UK-wide organisation and is renamed as the Committee for Homosexual Equality (CHE). The Committee attracts support from leading figures in the medical profession, the arts and the church.

1969The Stonewall riots in America - a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the LGBT community against a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, Manhattan. This key event triggers the modern LGBT liberation movement in the US and beyond.

1970London Gay Liberation Front (GLF) is established in the UK. It is based on a parallel movement in the US based on revolutionary politics.

1970The Corbett v Corbett divorce case establishes a precedent that a person's sex cannot legally be changed from that which is assigned at birth.

1971The Committee for Homosexual Equality, keeping the same initials, becomes the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE).

1971The Nullity of Marriage Act was passed, explicitly banning same-sex marriages between same-sex couples in England and Wales.

1972The first Pride is held in London, attracting approximately 2,000 participants.

1972Gay News, Britain’s first gay newspaper is founded.

1973The Campaign for Homosexual Equality holds the first British gay rights conference in Morecambe, Lancashire.

1974London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, a London-based information and support helpline, is established.

1974London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, a London-based information and support helpline, is established.

1974Jan Morris, Welsh historian, author and travel writer, releases Conundrum, a personal account of her transition. 

1974Maureen Colquhoun came out as the first lesbian Labour MP. 

1974Stephen Whittle, trans man and prominent activist co-founds a Manchester based "TV/TS" group; a group for trans people.

1974The First National TV/TS (Transvestite/Transsexual Conference) is held in Leeds.  

1975British journal, Gay Left, begins publication.

1975The Liberal Party (now the Liberal Democrats) became the first UK political party to support LGBT rights, passing a motion at conference to support ‘full equality for homosexuals’, including equalising the age of consent

1976 The Gay Christian Movement is founded at a public meeting at the Sir John Cass School in the City of London (the organisation's name later changed to the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement and then One Body One Faith in 2017).

1977The first gay and lesbian Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference takes place to discuss workplace rights.

1977At a Campaign for Homosexual Equality conference, Amnesty International is called upon to take up the issue of the persecution of lesbians and gay men.

1977A Bill to reduce the age of consent to 18 is defeated in the UK House of Lords.

1977Gay News Magazine is successfully prosecuted by Mary Whitehouse for ‘Blasphemy’.

1979Founding of the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, now the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

1980Sex between two men over the age of 21 ‘in private’ is decriminalised in Scotland.

1980British documentary ‘A Change of Sex’ is aired on the BBC following the social and medical transition of Julia Grant. The BBC also gives an inside view of the Gender Identity Clinic at Charing Cross Hospital in London.

1980The first Black Gay and Lesbian Group is formed in the UK.

1981A landmark court case finds that Northern Ireland’s criminalisation of same-sex acts violates the European Convention on Human Rights.

1981The first UK case of AIDS was recorded when a 49-year-old man was admitted to Brompton Hospital in London suffering from PCP (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia). He died ten days later.

1982The Homosexual Offences Order decriminalises sex between two men over the age of 21 ‘in private’ in Northern Ireland.

1982Terry Higgins dies of AIDS in St. Thomas’ Hospital, his partner Rupert Whittaker, Martyn Butler and friends set up the Terry Higgins Trust (which became the Terrence Higgins trust), the UK’s first AIDS charity. 

1983UK Crown Dependency, Guernsey, decriminalises sex between two men.

1983Men who have sex with men are asked not to donate to UK blood banks amid the AIDS crisis.

1983The UK’s first national lesbian and gay TV show, One in Five, is shown on Channel 4.

1984Chris Smith, Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, speaks openly about his sexual orientation and becomes the first openly gay MP, 10 years after Maureen Colquhoun came out as the first lesbian MP.  

1984The Politics of Bisexuality, now known as BiCon, launches. 

1984Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign is launched in of support of workers in the miners’ strikes in 1984 and 1985

1986Mark Rees, a trans-man, brings a case to the European Court of Human Rights, stating that UK law prevented him from gaining legal status recognising him as male. The case was lost but the court noted the seriousness of the issues facing trans people.

1987The International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) is founded to promote acceptance for transgender people.

1988UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, introduces Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988. The Act states 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".

1988Sir Ian McKellen comes out on the UK’s BBC Radio in response to the government’s proposed Section 28 in the British Parliament.

1988Stonewall UK is formed in response to Section 28 and other barriers to equality. Founding members include Ian McKellen and Michael Cashman.

1988Denmark becomes the first country in the world to give legal recognition to same-sex partnerships.

1989The first national lesbian and gay TV series 'Out on Tuesday' first aired on Channel 4. It screened again in 1990, and subsequently in 1991, 1992, and 1994, retitled 'OUT'.

1990Candlelit vigil is held in London after five gay men are murdered within months of each other. This leads to the formation of OutRage, who call for police to start protecting gay and bi men instead of arresting them. 

1990Lesbian and gay police officers established the UK’s Lesbian and Gay Police Association.

1990The first Pride event is held in the UK city of Manchester.

1990Justin Fashanu becomes the first professional footballer to come out as gay. He later commits suicide.  

1990Northern Ireland holds their first Pride parade.

1990The UK Crown Dependency of Jersey decriminalises sex between two men.

1991Sir Ian McKellen meets UK Prime Minister John Major - the first time any sitting Prime Minister has met with LGBT activists.

1992World Health Organisation declassifies same-sex attraction as a mental illness.

1992First Pride Festival is held in the Brighton.

1992The UK Crown Dependency of Isle of Man repeals sodomy laws (homosexuality was still illegal until 1994).

1992Following a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference in 1991, Press For Change, a key lobbying and legal support organisation for trans people in the UK, is established.

1992Stonewall begins its first major campaign for an equal age of consent in the UK.

1992British serial killer, Colin Ireland, is convicted of killing five gay men. He is sentenced to life in prison.

1994The UK House of Commons moves to reduce the age of consent for same-sex relations between men to 16. The vote is defeated and the age of consent is instead lowered to 18. An age of consent for same-sex relations between women is not set.

1994The UK Crown Dependency of Isle of Man fully decriminalises homosexuality.

1994TV personality, Sandi Toksvig, comes out as a lesbian.

1995Mermaids is founded by a group of parents brought together by their children’s longstanding gender issues. The UK charity offers appropriate resources to young people, their families and carers, and professionals working with gender variant young people.

1995Rank Outsiders and Stonewall launch a major campaign to end the ban on LGB people openly serving in the British military.

1996The landmark case - P vs S and Cornwall County Council - finds that an employee who was about to undergo gender reassignment was wrongfully dismissed. It was the first piece of case law, anywhere in the world, which prevented discrimination in employment or vocational education because someone is trans.

1996BBC Radio 4’s, The Archers, the world longest running soap, introduces its first openly gay character, Sean Myerson.

1997Stephen Twigg becomes first openly gay MP at the time of his election. Ben Bradshaw, also openly gay, is also elected just 21 minutes later.

1997UK Government recognises same-sex partners for immigration purposes.

1997Angela Eagle becomes Britain’s first MP to voluntarily come out as a lesbian.

1997The Equality Network is formed in Scotland to ensure that the voices of diverse LGBT people are heard in policy making.

1998In June, The House of Commons votes to lower the age of consent for same-sex relations between men to 16 in England.  However, a month later the House of Lords defeats the clause.

1998Waheed Alli becomes the first openly gay member of the House of Lords and one of a few openly gay Muslims.

1998The Bolton 7, a group of gay and bi men, are convicted of gross indecency. They take their case to the ECHR claiming a violation of Article 8 and the right to a private life. After a campaign by Outrage! and Amnesty International they are awarded compensation by the UK Government.

1999Trans Day of Remembrance  is founded in the USA, and then later in the UK and worldwide, to memorialise those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia and to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the trans community.

1999The Admiral Duncan, a gay pub in Soho, is bombed by former British National Party member, David Copeland. The attack kills three people and wounds at least 70.

1999Queer Youth Alliance is formed.

1999Michael Cashman, co-founder of Stonewall UK, becomes the first openly gay UK member elected to the European Parliament.

1999European Court of Human Rights unanimously finds that the investigation into, and subsequent discharge of, two personnel from the Royal Navy on the basis of their sexual orientation is a breach of their right to a private life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

2000The UK Government lifts the ban on lesbians, gay men and bi people serving in the armed forces.

2000Legislation is introduced to repeal Section 28 in England and Wales. The bill is defeated. Scotland abolishes Section 28. It remains in place in England and Wales.

2000Stonewall’s campaign to reduce the age of consent for same-sex relations between men aged 16 is successful as changes are made to the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000. Group sex between men is also decriminalised.

2001Stonewall sets up the Diversity Champions programme to help employers who want to treat their lesbian, gay and bi employees fairly.

2001The age of consent is lowered to 16 (having been lowered from 21 to 18 in 1994), making it the same as the age of consent for straight people.

2002Equal rights are granted to same-sex couples applying for adoption.

2002Brian Dowling becomes the first openly gay children’s TV presenter in the UK.

2002Alan Duncan becomes the first Conservative MP to be open about his sexual orientation, without being coerced.

2002In the Goodwin v the United Kingdom case, judges ruled that the UK Government should accommodate the needs of trans people by issuing new birth certificates and permitting marriage to someone of the opposite gender.

2003Section 28 is repealed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, lifting the ban on local authorities from ‘the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality’.

2003Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations becomes law in the UK, making it illegal to discriminate against lesbians, gay and bi people in the workplace.

2003Stonewall Cymru is founded.

2003Celia Kitzinger and Sue Wilkinson, both British university professors, legally marry in Canada. On their return, their same-sex marriage is not recognised under British law.

2004The Civil Partnership Act 2004 is passed, granting civil partnership in the United Kingdom. The Act gives same-sex couples the same rights and responsibilities as married straight couples in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

2004The Gender Recognition Act 2004 is passed giving trans people full legal recognition in their appropriate gender. The Act allows trans people to acquire a new birth certificate, although gender options are still limited to ‘male’ or ‘female’.

2005Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 empowers UK courts to impose tougher sentences for offences aggravated or motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation, or their presumed sexual orientation.

2005The Adoption and Children Act 2002 comes into force allowing unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to apply for joint adoption.

2005Stonewall launches the Education For All campaign to tackle homophobic bullying in schools.

2005Christopher Cramp and Matthew Roche become the first couple to complete a Civil Partnership in the UK.  Mr Roche died of terminal cancer the following day.

2005Transgender Europe  is founded. The organisation campaigns for the equality of all trans people in Europe.

2006Stonewall launches the Stonewall Awards, celebrating achievements for lesbian, gay and bi equality.

2006In the case of Grant v the United Kingdom the European Court of Human Rights held that denying a state pension at age 60 from a male-to-female trans person was a breach of the right to respect for private life.

2006In the Isle of Man the age of consent is equalised and Section 28 is repealed.

2007The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 outlawed the discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities, services, education and public functions on the grounds of sexual orientation.

2007Law changes in Scotland give same-sex couples equality in adoption and fostering.

2007Ian Smith, Patrick Harvie, Margaret Smith and Joe FitzPatrick are elected as openly gay, lesbian or bi MSPs in the 2007-11 Scottish Parliament.

2007UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, addresses Stonewall’s Equality Dinner.

2007Stonewall launches its iconic ‘Some People Are Gay. Get Over it!’ campaign.

2007‘Engendered Penalties Transsexual and Transgender People’s Experience of Inequality and Discrimination’ is published. This is instrumental in ensuring the inclusion of trans people in the remit of the UK’s new Commission for Equalities and Human Rights.

2008The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 recognises same-sex couples as legal parents of children conceived through the use of donated sperm, eggs or embryos. 

2008Gendered Intelligence (GI) is founded in the UK to increase the understanding of gender diversity.

2009Stonewall conducts the first large-scale study of lesbian and bi women’s health.

2009David Cameron apologises on behalf of the Conservative party for the introduction of Section 28.

2009Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas comes out as gay.

2010The Equality Act 2010 officially adds gender reassignment as a protected characteristic.  

2010Stonewall secures an amendment to the Equality Act 2010 to remove the ban on religious groups from holding civil partnerships on their premises.

201010 years after the ban on lesbian, gay and bi people in the military is lifted, all armed forces are members of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Programme.

2010A new offence of ‘incitement to homophobic hatred’ comes into force in the UK.

2011The Department of Health lifts the lifetime ban on gay and bi men donating blood, although a 12-month celibacy clause is still in place in order for men who have sex with men to be eligible to donate.

2011An amendment to the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2011, tabled by Lord Waheed Alli, permits the celebration of civil partnerships in religious buildings in the UK.

2011Stonewall amends its charitable objectives to campaign internationally.

2011Ruth Davidson is elected to lead the Scottish Conservatives. She is the first openly gay leader of a political party.

2011UK Courts rule in favour of gay couple, Martin Hall and Steven Preddy, when owners of a bed and breakfast refuse to provide them with a double room.

2012Stonewall begins working with human rights defenders to campaign for LGBT rights in over 80 countries.

2012Protection of Freedoms Act is passed in the UK allowing for historic convictions for consensual sex between men to be removed from criminal records.

2012Explicit reference to homophobic bullying in schools is introduced into Ofsted’s inspection framework in the UK.

2013Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act is passed in England and Wales.

2013Stonewall sends Rainbow Laces to all the professional football clubs in the UK to encourage players to show their commitment to making sport inclusive.  

2013Stonewall’s ‘Gay. Let’s get the meaning straight’ campaign launches in schools to address the widespread use of homophobic language.

2013Alan Turing is given a posthumous royal pardon for his conviction of ‘gross indecency’ which resulted in his being chemically castrated and later committing suicide.

2013Olympic diver Tom Daley reveals on YouTube that he is in a same-sex relationship.  

2013The first Trans Pride event takes place in Brighton.

2013Marriages between same-sex couples becomes legal in New Zealand.

2014The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 officially comes into force, with the first same-sex marriages in England and Wales taking place on 29 March 2014.

2014Scottish Government passes legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry in Scotland.

2014Same-sex civil unions recognised in Malta.

2014Casey Stoney, Captain of the England Women’s football team, comes out as lesbian.

2015Stonewall extends its remit to campaign for trans equality.

2015Mikhail Ivan Gallatinov and Mark Goodwin become the first couple to have a same-sex wedding in a UK prison after marrying at Full Sutton Prison in East Yorkshire.

2015The Royal Vauxhall Tavern becomes the first ever building in the UK to be given a special listing status based on its LGBT history.

2015Stonewall holds a free training programme for Russian LGBTQ activists

2015Stonewall unveils new ‘acceptance without exception’ tagline.

2015The US legalises same-sex marriage.

2015Mozambique decriminalises same-sex relationships.

2015Ireland votes by a huge majority to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in the world to do so by a referendum.

2015The Women and Equalities Committee holds an inquiry into Transgender Equality.

2016David Mundell announces he is gay on his personal website. He becomes the first openly gay Conservative cabinet minister.

2016The Isle of Man legalises same-sex marriage.

2016Robert Hannigan, GCHQ’s Director, address Stonewall’s Workplace Conference and publicly apologises for the service’s historic treatment of LGBT people.

2016North Carolina introduces a law – HB2 – which forces people to use public toilets or changing facilities that correspond with the gender they were assigned at birth. Many celebrities speak out and cancel scheduled appearances in protest.

2016Same-sex civil unions are recognised in Italy.

201649 people are killed and 53 people injured after a gunman opens fire in the LGBT nightclub Pulse, in Orlando. London and other major cities across the world hold vigils to show solidarity with the victims.

2016Justine Greening announces she is in a same-sex relationship on London’s Pride day, making her the first out LGBT female cabinet member 

2016President Obama declares the Stonewall Inn America’s first national monument to LGBT rights.

2016Prince William appears on the front cover of gay magazine, Attitude, stating that no one should be bullied because of their sexuality.

2017The Government issues a posthumous pardon to all gay and bi men who were convicted under pernicious sexual offences laws in the last century which enabled police to criminalise people for being gay or bi.

2017Amendments made to the Children and Social Work Bill, which will make relationships and sex education (RSE) mandatory in all schools in England and Wales from 2019.

2017The UK Supreme Court rules that the discrimination against same-sex couples on pensions rights needs to end immediately. 

2017The Department of Health reduces the deferral period for gay and bi men wishing to donate blood from 12 months to three months.