LGBT History Month 2018
Our borough has a long, proud history on LGBT+ rights, and as a council we’re currently putting together proposals to further Haringey’s commitment to being an LGBT+ inclusive borough.
Throughout February we highlighted LGBT History Month on our culture pages, with interviews from community groups, schools and residents who are making a difference in our borough.
Haringey has the eighth highest LGBT+ community in London, but hate crime remains an issue, and we will be hearing from Haringey Police about the work they are doing to tackle it and help promote equality in the borough.
This year's national LGBT History Month theme is Geography: Mapping the World, following the recent legalisation of gay marriage in Australia and 16 Central and South American nations. It is also 40 years this year since the rainbow flag was launched.
Timeline
Here, we look at how figures from Haringey joined the battle against Section 28 - which until 2003 banned local authorities from sharing materials that “promoted homosexuality” in schools - and explore other LGBT+ moments in our borough’s history:
1967
Homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK.
1984
Gay rights became part of the Labour Party’s manifesto. At the time, Haringey was one of 10 councils who pitched in to donate more than £600,000 to gay projects and groups.
1986
LGBT campaigning stepped up this year. A group called Positive Images organised a demo around the Roundway in Tottenham. 3,000 people marched in support of Haringey’s gay and lesbian community.
Labour then won control of Haringey Council, with lesbian and gay equality part of the manifesto. The council’s Lesbian and Gay Unit was launched - the first of its kind in the country - to highlight the rights of LGBT people to council staff. Pioneering campaigner Femi Otitoju was part of the unit, which is now part of our equalities team.
A book called Jenny lives with Eric and Martin, which told the story of a girl living with her dad and his partner, was available to school children in Haringey. A group of local parents complained - sparking protests on the streets of Wood Green, for and against gay rights.
Watch a news report on the gay rights protest in Haringey:
Note for iPhone users and Youtube. There is a known bug with iOS and Youtube, Two buttons are read before the player but provide no functionality. We advise that you skip these to access the content.
1987
Positive Images and Haringey Black Action organised the first UK demonstration to highlight the stories of black lesbians and gay men.
Bernie Grant, then-MP for Tottenham, became the first MP to voice opposition to Section 28, which was brought in a year later in 1988.
The Department of Education and Science expressed concerns to Haringey Council’s education team about the “promotion of homosexuality”. It came after our Lesbian and Gay Unit wrote to the borough’s head teachers, urging them to share positive views of homosexuality with pupils.
1988
On 23 May, the night before Section 28 became law, four protestors, including Haringey’s Booan Temple stormed the BBC 6 O’Clock news, handcuffed themselves to equipment and shouted ‘Stop section 28’.
Watch the news report on YouTube:
Note for iPhone users and Youtube. There is a known bug with iOS and Youtube, Two buttons are read before the player but provide no functionality. We advise that you skip these to access the content.
1999
Wood Green arts charity Wise Thoughts was established, helping to address social justice issues and the needs of Haringey’s LGBT and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
2001
Equalisation of the age of consent for gay men nationwide.
2002
UK’s Adoption and Children Act allowed same sex couples to adopt.
Then-MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Barbara Roche, who was Minister for Social Exclusion and Equalities, spoke in support of civil partnerships, saying there was a strong case for allowing same-sex couples to register their relationships.
2003
Section 28 was repealed.
2009
The T-shirt Haringey protester Booan Temple wore when she stormed the BBC went on show at Bruce Castle Museum, as part of the From the Closet to the Collection: Haringey LGBT Exhibition.
2010
GIRES (Gender Identification Research and Education Society) was set up to improve the environment in which gender non-conforming people live.
2012
Then-MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Lynne Featherstone was named Attitude Magazine’s politician of the year. She went on to be named Pink Magazine’s ally of the year in 2014, as well as Stonewall’s 2014 politician of the year (following a previous 2009 nomination). The former Equalities Minister is widely hailed as the architect of the bill that brought same-sex marriage to England and Wales.
2017
Haringey begins work to make the council a more LGBT+ friendly place, with support from Stonewall.
Now
The council is preparing measures to further our LGBT+ work in the borough.
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