- 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 TherapyAmbiguous
Public Opinion
By The Numbers
0%
of 500 British Muslims interviewed believed that homosexual acts were morally acceptable
(Gallup, 2009)
History
Current status
(since Nov 30, 2000)
(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.
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.
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.
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.
Current status
(since Apr 4, 2005)
(since Apr 4, 2005)
Legal, surgery not required
Surgery is not required
Current status
(since Nov 7, 2002)
(since Nov 7, 2002)
Legal
IVF treatment is available for lesbian couples too.
Current status
(since Oct 1, 2010)
(since Oct 1, 2010)
Illegal
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Current status
(since Jan 12, 2000)
(since Jan 12, 2000)
Legal
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.
Until 1967
Illegal
Same-sex sexual activity was illegal for men, and therefore, these individuals were not permitted in the military.
Current status
(since Aug 1, 2001)
(since Aug 1, 2001)
Unequal
A bill was signed to reduce the age of consent for men who have sex with men from 21 to 18.
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.
*Sex between more than two men remained illegal until later.
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.
*Sex between more than two men remained illegal until later.
LGBT Rights by Country
View the LGBT laws in each individual country of United Kingdom.
- Gibraltar
- England
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland (Province)
- Isles of Scilly (Region)
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Territory)