Direct Answer
When was homosexuality decriminalised in the UK?
Direct answer
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.
- Status
- reviewed
- Reviewed
- 22 May 2026
- Sources
- 7
- High trust
- 6
Curated Routes
Appears in these journeys
Use a journey when this direct answer needs wider historical context.
Explanation
The 1967 Act followed the Wolfenden Report and reform campaigning, but it applied only under limited conditions. Scotland, Northern Ireland, age-of-consent reform, military policy, partnership recognition, and marriage equality each followed different legal paths.
Timeline Evidence
The Wolfenden Report Published
The Wolfenden Committee reported in 1957 and recommended that private homosexual activity between consenting adults over 21 should no longer be a criminal offence. The recommendation did not immediately change the law, but it created the central law-reform argument that later shaped the Sexual Offences Act 1967.
North Western Homosexual Law Reform Committee Founded
The North-Western Homosexual Law Reform Committee held its first meeting in Manchester on 4 June 1964, with a formal launch later that year. Founded by Allan Horsfall and others to support decriminalisation, it later became the Committee for Homosexual Equality and then the Campaign for Homosexual Equality.
Sexual Offences Act 1967
The Sexual Offences Act 1967 partially decriminalised sex between men in England and Wales, but only under tightly limited conditions. It applied to consenting adults over 21 in private and left major exclusions and inequalities in place, including outside England and Wales.
