200 Years of LGBTQIA+ History

From Shadows to Pride — UK & Global Timeline

Source Record

Age of Consent for Male Homosexual Acts

Why this source is used

Parliamentary research briefing on age-of-consent reform, including legislative context and references to the Bolton Seven.

Start with the answer

Start with the answer When was homosexuality legalised in the UK? If by legalised you mean partial decriminalisation of sex between men, England and Wales changed the law in 1967. The UK did not reach equality in one step: Scotland, Northern Ireland, age-of-consent reform and later partnership and marriage recognition followed through separate legal routes. Start with the answer How did UK age-of-consent reform change LGBTQ+ law? It moved the law from partial decriminalisation toward equal treatment by lowering and then equalising the age of consent. Read the topic guide UK Age of Consent and Sexual Offences Reform UK reform moved from partial decriminalisation to lowering and then equalising the age of consent, while late prosecutions exposed the harm of unequal criminal law.

Source Status

Publisher
House of Commons Library
Type
government
Reliability
high
Cited by
5 pages

Source Links

Open original source https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP98-68/RP98-68.pdf Accessed 4 June 2026 Open archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP98-68/RP98-68.pdf

Used by Topics

UK Age of Consent and Sexual Offences Reform

Used by Questions

When was homosexuality legalised in the UK? How did UK age-of-consent reform change LGBTQ+ law?

Used by Timeline Events

1994 DiscriminationLegalUK

Lowering of Age of Consent for Same-Sex Relations

The UK lowered the age of consent for sex between men from 21 to 18, a partial step towards equality with the heterosexual age of consent of 16. The measure was passed by free votes after fierce debate — an equal-at-16 amendment was defeated 280 to 307 and the age-18 amendment carried 427 to 162 — and full parity at 16 had to wait for the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000, forced through using the Parliament Acts.
1998 DiscriminationLegalUKCompensation

Bolton 7 Case Concludes

Seven gay and bisexual men — later known as the Bolton 7 — were convicted on 12 January 1998 at Bolton Crown Court of gross indecency and buggery for consensual group sex: the Sexual Offences Act 1956 still criminalised it when more than two men took part. A high-profile campaign led by OutRage! helped all seven avoid immediate custody, and in 2001 the Home Office paid £15,000 compensation to each of six men to settle their European Court of Human Rights case out of court.