LGBT Rights in England
Constituent Country

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Recent studies in England indicate that there is significant support for LGBTQ+ rights.

Do you support same-sex marriage?

(YouGov, 2025)
50.01%
Strongly support
24.65%
Tend to support
8.26%
Tend to oppose
9.46%
Strongly oppose

Perception of LGBTQ+ People

Survey results from 62 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited England.

Overall

Overall

Perceived Safety*

Feel safe being open
Absence of verbal harassment
Absence of threats and violence
*Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.

Equal Treatment

Treatment by peers
Treatment by family
Treatment at work
Treatment at school
Treatment by general public
Treatment by businesses
Treatment by law enforcement
Treatment by religious groups

Visibility & Representation

Inclusion in education
Representation in entertainment
Representation in news
Political support
Out public figures

Culture

Pride/events
Nightlife
Dating life
Interest groups and clubs

Services

Health and wellness
Gender-affirming care
Support and social services
Advocacy and legal

History

Homosexual activity in England

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Homosexual activity in England is legal.

Current status
Since Nov 30, 2000
Legal under federal United Kingdom law
The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 repealed all criminal provisions regarding homosexuality; setting an equal age of consent for sexual activity between men.
Sources:
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpg…
www.stonewall.org.uk/at_hom…
European Court of Human Rights in the case of ADT v. UK
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Jul 27, 1967–Nov 29, 2000
Legal
**LEGAL, WITH RESTRICTIONS**
The Sexual Offences Act of 1967 legalized sexual acts between two men who were 21 or older (Excluding men serving in the military), but it placed new restrictions on sex for men who have sex with men. The act prohibited sex in places where a third party was likely to be present.
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1885–Jul 27, 1967
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Section 11 of The Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 built on previous legislation. It was famously used against Oscar Wilde and Alan Turing.
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1533–1885
Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
The Buggery Act 1553 legistated against sodomy and while it did not explicitly target any perticular gender it was mainly used to convict men who had sex with men.

Same-sex marriage in England

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Same-sex marriage in England is legal.

Current status
Since Jul 17, 2013
Legal
In 2013, Parliament passed the Marriage Act that introduced same sex marriage for couples in England.
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Censorship of LGBT issues in England

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Censorship of LGBT issues in England is no censorship.

Current status
Since Nov 18, 2003
No censorship
In England, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
May 24, 1988–Nov 17, 2003
State-enforced
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 stated that local authorities could not "intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". The law did not create a criminal offence, leaving staff to fear losing their jobs if they breached the rules.

Right to change legal gender in England

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Right to change legal gender in England is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.

Current status
Since Apr 4, 2005
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis under federal United Kingdom law
Per the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (in effect 2005) in all four constituent countries of the UK. The requirements are as follows:
1. Must be 18 years of age
2. Must have a gender-dysphoria diagnosis
3. Must intend "to continue to live in the acquired gender until death"
4. Has lived in the acquired gender for at least 2 years.
5. If married: must acquire the consent of the spouse.

Eligibility is determined by a Gender Recognition Panel and if approved then one is granted a gender recognition certificate and may change the gender marker on legal documents.
Until Apr 4, 2005
Illegal under federal United Kingdom law
Until 2005, trans people could not legally change their legal gender in the United Kingdom. However, in 2002, the European Court of Human Rights found that the denial of recognition of trans people is in violation of their human rights.
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Gender-affirming care in England

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Gender-affirming care in England is legal, but banned for minors.

Current status
Since Jun 3, 2024
Legal, but banned for minors under federal United Kingdom law
On May 29th 2024, the UK voted to "close the loophole" by banning private care physicians as well as prescribers registered in the European Economic Area or Switzerland from prescribing puberty blockers to children for gender incongruence. Those who already had a prescription can continue their treatment.

This measure originally was meant to last from June 3rd until September 3rd, but was extended twice and is now indefinite. It extends to Scotland and Northern Ireland as well (The Sinn Fein gov agreed to follow it and medicines powers are reserved to the UK)
Mar 13, 2024–Jun 2, 2024
Legal, but restricted for minors
NHS England, in 2024, stopped routinely prescribing puberty blockers to children. This ban would eventually grow, but at the time, puberty blockers were still accessible in the private sector.
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in England

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in England is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized under federal United Kingdom law
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 allows for a person to change their legal gender to either 'male' or 'female', there is no third gender option. The law came into effect on 4 April 2005.

In 2021, the UK government said (in response to a petition) that legal recognition of non-binary gender identity would have "complex practical consequences for other areas of the law, service provision and public life", and said that they felt existing legislation allowing people to change their legal gender went far enough. Courts have, however, ruled that people with non-binary identities are protected from discrimination by the Equality Act.

On 4 October 2023, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted his stance on gender identity in a speech at the Conservative Party conference, stating it was “common sense” that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman”.

In January 2024, the High Court in London ruled that (in the case of a US citizen trying to have their non-binary identity recognised in the UK), "We have decided that whenever the Gender Recognition Act refers to ‘gender’ it refers to a binary concept – that is, to male, or to female gender. The GRP [Gender Recognition Panel] accordingly, had and has no power to issue a gender recognition certificate to the claimant which says that they are ‘non-binary’".

The act applied to the entire UK, and Scotland's attempts to recognise non-binary genders have all failed.

LGBT discrimination in England

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LGBT discrimination in England is illegal.

Current status
Since Oct 1, 2010
Illegal
LGBT discrimination in England is illegal, as per the UK's Equality Act of 2010. Sexual orientation and gender identity are covered as protected groups by the act.

LGBT employment discrimination in England

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LGBT employment discrimination in England is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Oct 1, 2010
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Employment discrimination protections in the UK stem from the Equality Act of 2010. There are, however, exemptions for certain occupations (such as religious organisations).
Dec 2, 2003–Sep 30, 2010
Sexual orientation only
In 2003, the Labour government began prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, with some exceptions. This extended to the whole UK.
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Aug 1, 1999–Dec 1, 2003
No protections
Anti-discrimination provisions for England were not enacted until 2003.
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Until Jul 31, 1999
No protections under federal United Kingdom law
Before Northern Ireland's progress in protecting trans people from employment discrimination, no part of the UK had enacted any law protecting LGBT people from employment discrimination.
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LGBT housing discrimination in England

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LGBT housing discrimination in England is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Oct 1, 2010
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Local authorities would be bound by the Equality Act 2010 and have a duty under the Public Sector Equality Duty. For private landlords, they would be bound by the Equality Act 2010.

Same-sex adoption in England

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Same-sex adoption in England is legal.

Current status
Since Apr 2003
Legal under federal United Kingdom law
The 2002 adoption act, which did not take effect until the next year, specifically defined a couple as: "two people (whether of different sexes or the same sex) living as partners in an enduring family relationship", expressly permitting same-sex adoption. This act was
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Intersex infant surgery in England

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Intersex infant surgery in England is parental approval required.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1989
Parental approval required under federal United Kingdom law
In the UK it is illegal to perform medical treatment onto any person without consent. For infants, consent is given by their parents on their behalf under the Children’s Act
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Serving openly in military in England

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Serving openly in military in England is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 12, 2000
Legal under federal United Kingdom law
The Ministry of Defence were forced to change their stance on when the European Court of Human Rights ruled in September 1999 that the then current ban on gays in the military was unlawful.
Until Jan 11, 2000
Illegal under federal United Kingdom law
The Sexual Offences Act of 1967 explicitly made serving in the military as an openly gay/bi man illegal. Before this act, it was unlawful for a man to have sex with another man, and therefore, it was also illegal.
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Blood donations by MSMs in England

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Blood donations by MSMs in England is legal.

Current status
Since Jun 14, 2021
Legal
The 3-month deferral for MSM has been dropped in England, instead, donors of any gender will be asked about their recent sexual activity, and those who have only had one sexual partner within the last 3 months will be eligible to donate.
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Conversion therapy in England

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Conversion therapy in England is not banned.

Current status
Not banned under federal United Kingdom law
UK law does not currently prohibit conversion therapy in any way. Conversion therapy bans have been discussed for many years. PM Boris Johnson promised to ban conversion therapy in July 2020 and this was reiterated in 2021. In March 2022, the plans were dropped, only for a partial U-turn just hours later when the government announced that the ban would go ahead but not cover trans people. On January 17 2023, the government announced they'd pass a new law to include transgender people in the conversion therapy ban.

In July of 2024, new prime minister Kier Starmer announced his government would put forward a bill to ban conversion therapy. This ban would include sexual orientation and gender identity. As of March 2025, this bill is yet to be introduced.

Equal age of consent in England

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Equal age of consent in England is equal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2001
Equal
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