LGBT+ History Month: Fight to scrap "damaging" law by Thatcher Government
Section 2A in Scotland banned councils from "promoting" homosexuality.
Last updated 11th Feb 2022
As LGBT+ History Month continues, we are hearing about the impacts section 2A in Scotland had on teenagers and young people struggling with their sexuality before it was repealed.
The clause was introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Government in 1988 and stopped local authorities from promoting homosexuality or publishing material with the intention of promoting it.
Labour MSP for the West of Scotland, Paul O'Kane, went to school while this legislation was in place and felt he couldn't be honest about his sexual orientation.
"Young people didn't have a safe space to come out in school.
"Teachers who wanted to help them felt too afraid because of the law and in some ways it was quite a dark time in our history."
"As someone who knew they were gay, it was a really scary place to be at times"
Paul feels that the law fuelled homophobia in the playground and abusive language wasn't challenged.
"Very often LGBT pupils had a negative school experience because there was a lot of bullying and people were allowed to get away with that.
"As someone who knew they were gay, it was a really scary place to be at times.
"When the country started to talk about repealing section 2A it then started to feel like there was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel."
"Opponents of the repeal said that gay sex lessons would be taught in primary schools"
In 2000, shortly after the new Scottish Parliament opened, the then Communities Minister, Wendy Alexander, introduced legislation to banish section 2A from Scotland and Local Government Acts.
However, a campaign called "Keep the Clause" was started by co-founder of Stagecoach Group, Brian Souter, with the aim of resisting the repeal.
Chief Executive of the Equality Network, Tim Hopkins told Downtown Country: "We were on the radio and the television almost every day explaining why repealing section 2A was the right thing to do.
"Opponents of the repeal said that gay sex lessons would be taught in primary schools and older gay men would be able to get their hands on younger gay men.
"It was all propaganda."
"If you are attacking trans rights then it will affect our whole community "
Tim says he thinks society has made big strides since the legislation was scrapped in mid 2000, but admits there is work to do.
"I feel like we are in a situation now where trans rights are being attacked in the same way lesbian, gay and bisexual rights were at the end of the last century.
"There are many arguments surrounding the Gender Recognition Act and the one that trans activists want to influence young people to transition is ludicrous.
"If you are attacking trans rights then it will affect our whole community and that could jeopardise the progress we have made for everyone."