Cultural changes and LGBT rights

• How has civil partnerships changed?


  Same sex couples were introduced in 2005

  • legal recognition and protection

  2019 civil partnerships became available to heterosexual couples as an alternative to marriage
• What LGBT rights were there before the 1960s?


  some countries same-sex sexual activity was condemned as immoral, sinful and punished by law

  1533 Buggery Act - sodomy between men was punished by death until 1835 and abolished in 1861

  Sexual activity between women has never been a crime
• What did the 2004 Gender Recognition Act enable?

  How do you get one?

  People can apply for a gender recognition certificate

  • change gender, acquire new birth certificate, and have their new sex recognised by law

  To get one you must show proof of 2 years transitioning and apply to the panel with medical evidence of gender dysphoria
• What are the 3 other cultural changes we have seen due to a change of attitude?

  Individualism

  Equal Rights

  Secularisation
• Define secularisation

  How can it be applied today?

  Declining influence of religion on people’s lives attitudes and values

  Religions generally oppose homosexuality (violently)

  Today religion wields less power - less then 1/2 of Brits believe in God

  Religious condemnation of homosexuality carries less weight

  • some churches permit gay priests
• Define equal rights and how can it be applied to today?


  Everybody has the same right no matter their age, gender, class, ethnicity

  seen in the case of women’s rights and equal treatment regardless of race, colour or religion

  and move towards equal rights for LGBT people
• Define individualism and how can it be applied to today?

  belief that individuals should have the right to live their lives they want to so long as they do no harm

  became a central value in:

  • divorce
  • abortion
  • sexual preferences
• How has same sex marriage changed?


  Previously marriage was legally defined as man loves women

  Since 2013 Marriage Act can be defined as men love men and women love women
• How has equal age of consent changed?

  1994 - lowered from 21 - 18

  2000 - equalised with heterosexual sex at 16
• What 3 further legal changes have been made due to changes of society’s values?

  Equal age of consent

  Civil partnerships

  Same sex marriages
• How have values and attitudes changed towards homosexuality?

  2/3 of the population see nothing wrong with it - 1/5 in the 1980s

  people take the view that consenting adults should have the right to do as they wish in private
• How did the decriminalisation 1967 Act for the same-sex sexual activity happen?


  Persecution of high-profile individuals - led to an outcry and a committee was established to review the law

  • led to a report recommending decriminalisation of sexual activity in private between men aged 21+ - it became a law in 1967
• How has transgender rights changed?


  For many years transsexualism has been seen as a mental health condition but has changed with views and attitudes and now is widely accepted that people have the right to decide their gender