Section 28 of the 1988 local government act (often just referred to colloquially as section 28), was a law that made it illegal to discuss queer identities in schools.
here's the relevant excerpt of the act
2A
Prohibition on promoting homosexuality by teaching or by publishing material
(1)A local authority shall not—
(a)intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality;
(b)promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.
(2)Nothing in subsection (1) above shall be taken to prohibit the doing of anything for the purpose of treating or preventing the spread of disease.
(3)In any proceedings in connection with the application of this section a court shall draw such inferences as to the intention of the local authority as may reasonably be drawn from the evidence before it.
(4)In subsection (1)(b) above “maintained school” means,—
(a)in England and Wales, a county school, voluntary school, nursery school or special school, within the meaning of the Education Act 1944; and
(b)in Scotland, a public school, nursery school or special school, within the meaning of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.”
It was repealed in 2003, but the recent resurgence of homophobia in parliament is using a similar language around “protecting children” is identical to the shit Thatcher and her cronies were throwing around in the 80’s.
for example (CW: homophobia)
Yeah, that’s an 80’s one. Here it is in the Tory Party’s online archive.
I’m hoping this is just me dooming but having grown up in the dying days of section 28, I’m genuinely scared for this next generation of queer people.