This issue over DNA demonstrates constant vigilance is required by the gay population regarding homophobic policing.
It is not that long ago that the number of complaints about homophobia within the police rose by almost a quarter, according to the Gay Police Association.
Homophobic police attitudes & practises are always there looking for an opportunity.
Surely it would be better if all these convictions were simply written off; rather than having each individual apply.
For some surely the passing of time has erased their memories of times and places and events, as required on the form.
Many will have had their lives blighted enough by the conviction and dragging it all up again may do more harm than good.
Yes, absolutely. What you have written about is the elephant in the room for thousands of gay men and it needs to be dealt with. Many convictions for gross indecency and for ‘soliciting or persistently importuning by a man for an immoral cause’ are still being disclosed on CRB checks, standard and enhanced. Both of these offences were repealed when the sexual offences act of 2003 came in which redefined all of the categories of sexual offences. Post-1967 crimes of gross indecency are still disclosed as is soliciting since they were not in the recent amnesty. For soliciting, one did not have to be having sex with anyone, yet alone in a public lavatory, in former days of pretty policemen, to establish a conviction. The police & Home Office need to look at why they disclose these ‘old’ repealed convictions that make the lives of gay men a misery and simply put in a mechanism to filter them out when people make applications to the CRB.
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well done Peter sound a sensible approach to take DNA from SERIOUS offenders such as rapist etc..
Well done Peter.
This issue over DNA demonstrates constant vigilance is required by the gay population regarding homophobic policing.
It is not that long ago that the number of complaints about homophobia within the police rose by almost a quarter, according to the Gay Police Association.
Homophobic police attitudes & practises are always there looking for an opportunity.
Surely it would be better if all these convictions were simply written off; rather than having each individual apply.
For some surely the passing of time has erased their memories of times and places and events, as required on the form.
Many will have had their lives blighted enough by the conviction and dragging it all up again may do more harm than good.
Yes, absolutely. What you have written about is the elephant in the room for thousands of gay men and it needs to be dealt with. Many convictions for gross indecency and for ‘soliciting or persistently importuning by a man for an immoral cause’ are still being disclosed on CRB checks, standard and enhanced. Both of these offences were repealed when the sexual offences act of 2003 came in which redefined all of the categories of sexual offences. Post-1967 crimes of gross indecency are still disclosed as is soliciting since they were not in the recent amnesty. For soliciting, one did not have to be having sex with anyone, yet alone in a public lavatory, in former days of pretty policemen, to establish a conviction. The police & Home Office need to look at why they disclose these ‘old’ repealed convictions that make the lives of gay men a misery and simply put in a mechanism to filter them out when people make applications to the CRB.