In the UK, February is LGBTQ+ History Month, which was introduced to celebrate the history of people in the community and how far the movement has come.
This month differs to June's Pride Month that began on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which many consider to be the watershed moment for the gay rights movement.
This year's History Month coincides with a major milestone in the UK - 20 years since Section 28 was repealed, a law which prevented the "promotion of homosexuality".
We've looked back at some key events in history that changed the course of LGBTQ+ rights in Britain and beyond.
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First gender reassignment surgery
In 1948, the first ever gender reassignment surgery was performed on Roberta Cowell, a transwoman. She was assigned male at birth but successfully transitioned and underwent vaginoplasty surgery - often known as 'bottom surgery' in the community.
Roberta also legally changed her gender on her official documentation and lived until the age of 92 as 'Betty'. She passed away in her London home in 2011.
She was a racing driver for years before WWII, where she trained as a pilot for the RAF despite suffering from motion sickness. During the war, Roberta was shot down over Germany and taken as a prisoner for five months, living in appalling conditions.
In her autobiography, Betty wrote: "What I knew deep down inside me though not consciously: my nature was essentially feminine and in some way my world was out of joint."
Wolfenden Report published
Despite Roberta's transition, there were still extensive laws in place banning homosexuality in the UK. The Wolfenden Committee was formed in 1954 to look into these laws, as the number of gay men who were being imprisoned per year for 'homosexual acts' had reached over 1,000.
The Wolfenden Report was then published on September 5, 1957, and stated that there "must remain a realm of private morality and immorality which is, in brief and crude terms, not the law's business".
A motion and debate was put through parliament in 1960 but there was stalling and inactivity, meaning it took 10 years of lobbying before it was legally permitted for two men to be in a relationship together.
Partial decriminalisation in 1967 meant that it was no longer illegal to be gay but prosecutions for 'gross indecency' rose and the LGBTQ+ community continued to be persecuted. This term was not removed from the statutes until 2004.
Stonewall riots
Stonewall is often regarded as a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ history and although it was sparked in New York City, USA, the impact was felt in the UK too.
Police raided The Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, as the Inn was a known gay club in Greenwich Village. Raids weren't uncommon but this particular raid was unexpected and police reportedly roughed up patrons, checked their sex in the bathrooms and arrested 13 people.
Enough was enough and rather than disperse, patrons hung around as things escalated. A woman shouted as her head was hit when she was pushed into a police van, resulting in things being thrown at the van.
Momentum gathered and a full blown riot was happening within minutes, sparking numerous LGBTQ+ groups to galvanise and push to gain equal rights.
On the first year anniversary of the riots, the Christopher Street Liberation Day march was organised and marks the first ever gay pride parade in America. The chant, "say it loud, gay is proud" is still used today at pride, with many other iterations heard too.
In 1972, on the third anniversary, London held its first ever pride parade - despite the fact members of the LGBTQ+ were still being arrested for their sexuality.
Section 28 introduced
As the LGBTQ+ rights movement gained momentum, so too did the push back against them. The British government introduced Section 28 of the Local Government Act in May 1988, as an amendment to the existing act.
It prohibited schools and libraries from the "promotion of homosexuality", meaning nothing could be taught about LGBTQ+ experiences or issues to the younger generation. It also meant support groups for teens struggling with their sexuality were disbanded.
The ban gathered support thanks to a children's book called Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin which was deemed controversial. Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister at the time, said: "Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have [a] right to be gay".
It was not until 2003 that Section 28 was repealed, after 15 years of campaigning from teachers, LGBTQ+ activists and celebrities like Ian McKellen and Elton John.
WHO declassified homosexuality
Up until 1992, homosexuality was defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a mental illness. This allowed for practices such as conversion therapy and other so-called "cures" to be inflicted upon members of the LGBTQ+ community - some of which are still continued to this day.
The classification had fallen out of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) by 1987 but WHO kept it in the International Classification of Diseases for five more years.
Ten years later, a document printed by the Lord Chancellor's office stated that "transsexualism" was no longer classed as a mental illness either. It was then in 2019 that being transgender was no longer considered a mental illness by WHO.
Also in the mid-Nineties, the age of consent for same-sex relationships between men was lowered to 18 from 21 thanks to advice given in the Wolfenden Report. It wasn't until 2001 that it was reduced to 16 to match those of heterosexual relationships.
This paved the way for a slew of rule changes such as in 2000 when the ban was lifted on gay or bisexual people joining the armed forces. The year 2002 saw a major win with the legalisation of adoption for same-sex couples and unmarried couples who were also barred.
Same-sex marriage legalised
A major political milestone was put through parliament 10 years ago with the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act. This legalised marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales, with Scotland following shortly after.
It wasn't until March 29, 2014 that the act came into force with couples saying their vows at midnight, hoping to be the first legal same-sex marriage.
In the first 48 hours of the law passing, 95 couples got married. Around 15,000 same-sex weddings had taken place by October that year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
As of 2021, a ban on conversion therapy has been in the works, with the government going back and forth on whether to include trans people under the legislation. Should it be banned, it would be the biggest breakthrough in LGBTQ+ rights since the same-sex marriage act.
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