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| Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died aged 87. (S) |
Last Monday, as anyone who lives in the UK will know, The Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, died. She was a prime minister from May 1979 until November 1990 and she was immensely divisive and who was hated by many people. The thing she was most infamous for (at least in the part of the country I lived in for most of my life) were the events leading to and surrounding the mid ‘80s miners’ strike, but there were many other questionable things that she did. Some of these things were against the LGBT community, something I had no idea of until this week.
During the 1980s AIDS pandemic, when gay and bisexual men were both dying and being victimised, she and her government did nothing. Support groups and education went without government funding or recognition, and when the first treatments such as AZT were being developed, government funding was delayed and restricted.
It was not only this, but while she was in office violence towards and murder of members of the queer community rose, along with prosecutions for same-sex behaviour. Thatcher promoted traditional family values and morality, and made it clear that same sex couples did not fit into this.
Section 28, passed in 1988 by her government, was the first anti-gay legislation introduced in Britain in more than 100 years. The legislation banned the ‘promotion of homosexuality’, as well as teaching that homosexuality is acceptable. There were never any prosecutions, as no criminal offence was attached to the legislation, however it did lead to a large amount of self-censorship and the closure of a lot of groups, especially student support groups in schools and colleges across Britain, where staff were scared that they could be in breach of the act. This act was only abolished in 2003.
It wasn’t only her government’s legislation that was homophobic, however. In 1987 she made a speech to the Conservative Party Conference which included a section about the education of children.
“But it's the plight of individual boys and girls which worries me most,” she began. “Too often, our children don't get the education they need—the education they deserve.” She then went on to say: “Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay… All of those children are being cheated of a sound start in life—yes cheated.”
It was a speech made only 26 years ago, a stark reminder of how far acceptance of LGBT people has come in the last few years. I find it especially amazing when I think that it’s a mainly Conservative government (the party that Margaret Thatcher led) that is responsible for introducing the legislation for same sex marriage that’s currently on its way through parliament. Today’s world is a far cry from that of 26 years ago, and it’s amazing how fast attitudes are changing.
But this isn’t an article celebrating progress. It’s an article about a woman who divided Britain.
Of course, there were some positive things she did. She was the first, and to this day only, female Prime Minister, succeeding in a male dominated environment. In 1967 she was one of the Tories who voted to decriminalise homosexuality. Some would even consider her a ‘gay icon’, and others have argued that section 28 helped to impassion the LGBT rights activists who have done so much good work over the last few years.
She was controversial in everything she did, loved by some and hated by others. It seems as though she was never able to do things by halves.
Over the past week there have been people queuing up to both applaud her and condemn her. At the beginning of the week I greatly disagreed with those who were celebrating her death, and I think I still disagree with them now.
For all that she did, a lot of it terrible, she was a person just like the rest of us. Someone’s political decisions do not define who they are as a person. She was democratically elected and she did her job to the best of her abilities. By no means was she a good person but I think all of us have moral flaws. Although she failed to respect us in some ways we should still respect her in death.
I tend to think that, as a community we have a duty to acknowledge the past and move on. It may be difficult but the best way to move forward is to put the past behind us and work with what we’ve got. These things have happened and there’s nothing we can do about it now. If we respect others and work towards the future and the equality that everyone deserves then surely that’s a far better use for our time than looking backwards and being bitter.
During the 1980s AIDS pandemic, when gay and bisexual men were both dying and being victimised, she and her government did nothing. Support groups and education went without government funding or recognition, and when the first treatments such as AZT were being developed, government funding was delayed and restricted.
It was not only this, but while she was in office violence towards and murder of members of the queer community rose, along with prosecutions for same-sex behaviour. Thatcher promoted traditional family values and morality, and made it clear that same sex couples did not fit into this.
Section 28, passed in 1988 by her government, was the first anti-gay legislation introduced in Britain in more than 100 years. The legislation banned the ‘promotion of homosexuality’, as well as teaching that homosexuality is acceptable. There were never any prosecutions, as no criminal offence was attached to the legislation, however it did lead to a large amount of self-censorship and the closure of a lot of groups, especially student support groups in schools and colleges across Britain, where staff were scared that they could be in breach of the act. This act was only abolished in 2003.
It wasn’t only her government’s legislation that was homophobic, however. In 1987 she made a speech to the Conservative Party Conference which included a section about the education of children.
“But it's the plight of individual boys and girls which worries me most,” she began. “Too often, our children don't get the education they need—the education they deserve.” She then went on to say: “Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay… All of those children are being cheated of a sound start in life—yes cheated.”
It was a speech made only 26 years ago, a stark reminder of how far acceptance of LGBT people has come in the last few years. I find it especially amazing when I think that it’s a mainly Conservative government (the party that Margaret Thatcher led) that is responsible for introducing the legislation for same sex marriage that’s currently on its way through parliament. Today’s world is a far cry from that of 26 years ago, and it’s amazing how fast attitudes are changing.
But this isn’t an article celebrating progress. It’s an article about a woman who divided Britain.
Of course, there were some positive things she did. She was the first, and to this day only, female Prime Minister, succeeding in a male dominated environment. In 1967 she was one of the Tories who voted to decriminalise homosexuality. Some would even consider her a ‘gay icon’, and others have argued that section 28 helped to impassion the LGBT rights activists who have done so much good work over the last few years.
She was controversial in everything she did, loved by some and hated by others. It seems as though she was never able to do things by halves.
Over the past week there have been people queuing up to both applaud her and condemn her. At the beginning of the week I greatly disagreed with those who were celebrating her death, and I think I still disagree with them now.
For all that she did, a lot of it terrible, she was a person just like the rest of us. Someone’s political decisions do not define who they are as a person. She was democratically elected and she did her job to the best of her abilities. By no means was she a good person but I think all of us have moral flaws. Although she failed to respect us in some ways we should still respect her in death.
I tend to think that, as a community we have a duty to acknowledge the past and move on. It may be difficult but the best way to move forward is to put the past behind us and work with what we’ve got. These things have happened and there’s nothing we can do about it now. If we respect others and work towards the future and the equality that everyone deserves then surely that’s a far better use for our time than looking backwards and being bitter.
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