In 1967 the law in England and Wales was changed in order to decriminalise homosexual sexual acts between men (sex between women was never against the law). At this time the age of consent for homosexuals was set at twenty one, the age for heterosexuals was sixteen...

Derek Jarman died on the Sunday.. On a cold Monday night in February (1994) years of work by gay rights groups such as Stonewall and the more Militant Outrage! came to a head as MPs in the House of Commons voted on an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that would (if successful) reduce the age of consent for gay men to sixteen thereby bringing it in line with that for heterosexuals. A crowd of several thousand gay men and women along with friends and other supporters gathered outside the Palace of Westminster to hold a "candle light vigil" whilst the amendment was discussed and voted on.

Stonewall had found an unlikely ally in the form of Conservative MP Edwina Currie. Mrs. Currie proposed the amendment and backed it up vigorously in the House, on television, in local associations and on the streets, arguing that "Large parts of private behavior should be nothing to do with the state. We should not permit the continued persecution and harassment of large numbers of people, that is not a recipe for a nation at peace with itself." She also described the prevailing law as "nuts".

MPs opinions were as divided as that in the country as a whole and though the vote was not along party lines the most vocal of Mrs. Curries opponents came from within her own party, many eager to clean up their own image after a number of sex scandals and an extremely troubled "Back to Basics" campaign.

David Evans MP (Con) said "As far as boys go they are growing up, they are going through difficult emotional feelings at sixteen, eighteen, twenty one and I think that those feelings should be allowed to develop without intimidation from what you might call gays.".

Other arguments used against the idea of reducing the age of consent were put forward by groups and individuals outside Westminster, such as Valerie Riches of Family and Youth concern who went on record with her opinion that "Heterosexual activity even amongst sixteen year olds is at least a normal activity. Homosexual activity is not normal, it is unnatural, unnatural practices result from it, some of them dangerous and certainly unhealthy.". Neither the British Medical Association nor the Royal College of Psychiatrists agreed with this view.

Stonewall had been actively lobbying the government for many years prior to this, Sir Ian McKellan (Stonewall) had met the Prime Minister as early as 1991 to discuss the matter. Despite a letter to Sir Ian prior to the vote in which John Major conceded that "The case for change has been made" it was believed at the time that the PM’s preferred option was for the passing of a compromise amendment which would reduce the age to eighteen.

During the run-up to the vote a number of young gay men had started preparing their case for hearing by the European Court. They claimed that the British government was in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. Amongst these young men were lovers Hugo Greenhalge & William Parry (Hugo at the time under twenty one), and Euan Sutherland aged sixteen.

The result of the vote was announced to the waiting crowds outside the Houses of Parliament at a little after 10.30pm, the vote for sixteen had failed, the new age of consent would be eighteen. Campaigners did not see this as any sort of a victory, equality seemed as far off as ever. The crowd became more vocal and surged forward towards Parliament. The demonstration just off Parliament square and later outside Downing street resulted in six arrests, one on the charge of stealing a Police mans helmet!

The bill finally became law after an uncertain journey through both houses*. Campaigners vowed to continue to fight for equality... INFORMATION TO FOLLOW IN FUTURE UPDATE TO THIS PAGE.

* The same bill removed the right to silence for those charged with criminal offenses.

Prominent supporters of Edwina Curries motion to reduce the age of consent to sixteen included Neil Kinnock (Lab), Diane Abbott (Lab), Paddy Ashdown (LibDem), Tony Blair (Lab) and David Mellor (Con).

Who Voted for What? Check up on your MP. (Digital Diversity)
Click Here for OUTRAGE! Age of consent to be 14?

© John Roulston-Bates, 1996.