LGBT Rights in United Kingdom

Homosexuality
⚢
✔ Legal
Marriage
⚭
✔ Legal
Changing Gender
✔ Legal, surgery not required
Adoption
✔ Legal
Discrimination
✔ Illegal
Employment Discrimination
✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
Housing Discrimination
✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
Military
✔ Legal
Donating Blood
✖ Banned (3-month deferral)
Age of Consent
✔ Equal
Conversion Therapy
Ambiguous

Public Opinion

"Should Society Accept Homosexuality?"

United Kingdom ranks #6 out of 39 countries surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, June 4, 2013)

(18%) No

Yes (76%)

By The Numbers

0^%

of 500 British Muslims interviewed believed that homosexual acts were morally acceptable

(Gallup, 2009)

History

Homosexual activity in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Nov 30, 2000)

Legal

The Sexual Offences Act was successfully challenged in the European Court of Human Rights in the case of ADT v. UK in 2000. The court determined the provisions making sexual acts between more than two men illegal would be in violation of privacy laws, and therefore, those portions of the Act became unenforceable. Essentially, this was the last barrier to legalizing same-sex activity within the UK.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jul 27, 1967–Nov 30, 2000

Legal

**LEGAL, WITH RESTRICTIONS**
The Sexual Offences Act of 1967 legalized sexual acts between two men who were 21 or older (Excluding men serving in the military), but it placed new restrictions on sex for men who have sex with men. The act prohibited sex in places where a third party was likely to be present.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1885–1967

Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)

The Labouchere Amendment passed making sex between two men a gross indecency, punishable by imprisonment. Female homosexuality and sexual acts were not addressed in the law, and therefore, they technically would have been legal, though the law often applied the law towards women.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex marriage in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Jul 17, 2013)

Legal

Came into force as of March 29th, 2014 . Same-sex marriage is still unrecognized fully in some parts of the UK (such as Northern Ireland).

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jul 17, 2013–2014

Legal

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Dec 5, 2005–Jul 16, 2013

Civil unions

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Right to change legal gender in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Apr 4, 2005)

Legal, surgery not required

Surgery is not required

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex adoption in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Nov 7, 2002)

Legal

IVF treatment is available for lesbian couples too.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT discrimination in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Oct 1, 2010)

Illegal

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT employment discrimination in United Kingdom

Current status

Sexual orientation and gender identity

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT housing discrimination in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Oct 1, 2010)

Sexual orientation and gender identity

For Local Authorities they would be bound by Equality Act 2010 and have a duty under Public Sector Equality Duty. For private landlords would be bound by Equality Act 2010

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Homosexuals serving openly in military in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Jan 12, 2000)

Legal

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1967–Jan 11, 2000

Illegal

The Sexual Offences Act of 1967 explicitly made serving in the military as an openly gay/bi man illegal. Prior to this act, it was illegal for a man to have sex with another man entirely, and therefore, it was also illegal.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until 1967

Illegal

Same-sex sexual activity was illegal for men, and therefore, these individuals were not permitted in the military.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Blood donations by MSMs in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Jan 2017)

Banned (3-month deferral)

In 2017, the 3-month blood donation rule came into force at blood donation centres in Scotland in November, and in early 2018 in England.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

2011–Nov 2017

Banned (1-year deferral)

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 1, 2011–Sep 20, 2018

Legal

No restrictions on donating.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Equal age of consent in United Kingdom

Current status
(since Aug 1, 2001)

Equal

On November 30, 2000 a bill was signed to make the ages of consent equitable, regardless of gender. The law came into effect on August 1, 2001. The age of consent for men who have sex with men was reduced from 18 to 16, on par with different sex individuals.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1994–Jul 31, 2001

Unequal

A bill was signed to reduce the age of consent for men who have sex with men from 21 to 18.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1967–1994

Unequal

The Sexual Offenses Act made sex between two men legal in 1967*, but it was only legal between consenting men who were 21 or older, whereas the age of consent for different sex couples was 16.

*Sex between more than two men remained illegal until later.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1967–1994

Unequal

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until 1967

Ambiguous

Sexual activities between two or more men were illegal prior to 1967, and therefore, the age of consent was irrelevant; it was all illegal.

Details · Accurate? Yes No