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London: Gay couple threatened with death in violent late night homophobic assault
141
Government considers watered down same-sex marriage bill to minimise Tory rebellion
133
Tory MP Gerald Howarth: 'There are plenty in the aggressive homosexual community who want more than just same-sex marriage'
94
France: Far right activist commits suicide in Notre Dame following legalisation of equal marriage
93
Philip Hammond: 'No great demand for gay marriage and it's upsetting vast numbers of people'
73
Government to consider abolishing civil partnerships or opening up to straight couples
68
Norman Tebbit: David Cameron has 'f**** things up' with his equal marriage bill
65
David Cameron: Gay teenagers will stand that bit taller following equal marriage vote
60
Lib Dem Deputy Leader Simon Hughes: 'Marriage should be between one man and one woman'
58
US church blames Oklahoma tornado on gay basketball player Jason Collins
55
Robert in S. Kensington 671
GulliverUK 336
Jock S. Trap 314
Eddy 312
Iris 285
Mark Y 283
That There Other David 281
rapture 269
Rehan 261
Wingby 241
117 years too late for Oscar
And they wonder why so many African and Carib former colonies are currently so homophobic…
Interesting that Canada (my home) bucked the trend… the French influence, perhaps? Any theories?
Because Canada is cool! (Mostly!)
Good but:
1) Why has it taken so long? The vast majority of those affected are now retired anyway.
2) What reason could there ever be for not removing a conviction? Other “crimes” being committed simultaneously or something maybe? Under-16s being involved?
3) Isn’t this potentially going to give the home secretary a lot of work if they have to approve each case?
PS – RIP Alan :’(
I wonder, how many convicted homosexuals have passed away in the 45 years since the act was decriminalised?
This news must be of little comfort to those that knew them.
Of course it’s taken far too long but let’s at least celebrate the fact that it has finally happened.
Will this include convictions for sex with under-21s or under-18s who were over 16 at the time?
There are quite a few more recent convictions for “underage sex” from when the age of consent was still unequal that need overturning too.
The article makes it seem as if this is only about people convicted for consensual gay sex pre 1967 but I thought this applied to any ‘offence’ which is related to consensual gay sex which is now no longer considered an illegal act…
I am genuinely shocked that CRB checks will show this up as an offense. It is nearly half a century since de-criminalisation. Oscar Wilde is still, technically guilty of a criminal offense, it seems!
Anyone know what the actual process is/ who to approach/how to get it removed pls?! Never thought this day would come! :)
Even though this is long overdue for all gay men and will it include the wiping of all the pre-2001 unequal age of consent criminal convicted provisions?!
Also remember this is just a distraction away from a conservative government promising of marriage equality!
Until then I will believe the Conservative UK Government when they are actually introducing a Marriage Equality Bill 2012 into the elected House of Commons and the unelectable House of Lords and then waiting for the same identical bill to pass both houses and gets royally assented by the Queen a day later.
Also if you are an adult man or woman (over the age of 21 which gives a five year age gap) having sex with someone a girl or boy under the age of 16 (as is this is the age of consent in the UK), then you should stay on the sex offenders record and criminals record and should be locked up for life!
What a pity that people need to apply for this rather than it being done automatically.
Some people may, still to this day, be unwilling to apply.
One of the most popular convictions would be for what is called ‘cottaging’ but is this now legal?
In fact, the modern equivalent to ‘loitering with intent’ between 1967 and the Sexual Offences Act of 2003 was ‘soliciting or persistently importuning by man for an immoral purpose’. The homophobic ramifications are obvious even in the title. I hope people will be able to apply for this to be expunged in the spirit of the bill. If not, then, while the concessions afforded will bring relief to people, who by now are of retirement age, the Freedoms Bill will have failed to change the lives of thousands of people for the better who would remain criminalised for seeking sexual partners which would not have been prosecuted in a heterosexual context. A campaign for this offence to be erased or expunged from criminal records must happen if this opportunity evades helping those concerned.