Today marks the 50th anniversary of the (partial) decriminalisation of same-sex activity in the UK.
On 27th July 1967, the Sexual Offences Act decriminalised homosexual acts in private, between two men, over the age of 21. It wasn't ideal, but goodness me was it a landmark ruling.
It wasn't until May 2004 that sexual acts between same-sex partners were granted the same rights in the eyes of the law as heterosexual couples. And as you well know, it would be a further 10 years before same-sex marriages were legalised in the UK (minus Northern Ireland).
In 72 other countries around the world, however, same-sex activity is still illegal.
To mark today's anniversary, Stonewall, in association with Absolut, have released a new photo-series, shot by Sam Bradley, called Kiss With Pride.
The pictures take people from the 72 countries in question and show them sharing a same-sex kiss. "The more people that see these images, the better," says Sam. "And not just in progressive cities like London and New York. I would really like the images to reach people outside of that bubble and start a constructive conversation."
All of this comes just one day after Donald Trump announced (via Twitter, of course) that trans people would no longer be allowed to serve in the US military. The announcement was met with much derision from the wider world. However, across social media, a worrying level of support for his decision was visible.
This blatant discrimination against the LGBTQ community, as well as the outdated laws from around the world, prove that the fight is far from over.
"Consensual same-sex activity remains illegal in 72 countries, and is punishable by death in eight," said Ruth Hunt, the chief executive of Stonewall. "These figures serve as a stark reminder that we must not be complacent about what's left to do until all LGBTQ people are accepted without exception."
The #Kisswithpride images are on display to the public at Protein Gallery in Shoreditch, London from August 4th-6th.
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