1533
Buggery Act 1533 — First English Sodomy Law
Legal Discrimination UK
Henry VIII's Parliament passed the Buggery Act, making sodomy a criminal offence punishable by death for the first time under English civil law rather than ecclesiastical law. Previously, such cases had been handled by the Church courts. The Act transferred jurisdiction to the secular courts and established a legal framework that would persist in various forms for over four centuries.
Impact & Significance
Established the foundation of anti-homosexuality law in England and, through colonialism, in dozens of countries worldwide — many of which retained versions of this law well into the 21st century.
Reference Record
- Date
- 1533
- Era
- 1800s
- Sources
- 1
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Questions This Event Helps Answer
Q What was Section 28? Section 28 was a provision of the Local Government Act 1988 that restricted local authorities from promoting homosexuality or teaching that same-sex relationships were acceptable as family relationships. Q When was homosexuality decriminalised in the UK? The Sexual Offences Act 1967 partially decriminalised consensual sex between men in England and Wales, but UK-wide reform happened in stages and equality was not achieved by that Act alone. Q How did UK law criminalise homosexuality before 1967? Before 1967, English and Welsh law criminalised male same-sex intimacy through buggery and gross indecency offences, with punishments ranging from execution to imprisonment. Q How did international law change LGBTQ+ rights? International law changed LGBTQ+ rights by challenging criminalisation, creating partnership recognition, protecting sexual orientation in constitutions and opening marriage equality.
Related Events
1828 UK Offences Against the Person Act 1835 Last Execution for Sodomy in England 1861 Death Penalty Removed for Sodomy in England and Wales 1700 Molly Houses Emerge in London 2018 India Decriminalises Homosexuality — Section 377 Struck Down 2022 Singapore Repeals Section 377A — Decriminalises Gay Sex
