It is 50 years since sex between two men over 21 and ‘in private’ was decriminalised. In 2014, gay marriage in England, Scotland and Wales was legalised. Levels of public approval in Britain for same-sex relationships have been steadily rising since the late-1980s (see Figure 1), although a substantial minority of people, especially older people and those from specific faith backgrounds, still have difficulties accepting such changes.
Estimating, for sociological and policy research, the number of people who are gay and lesbian in the UK is difficult because of the personal nature of this information and probably because of persisting prejudice. In social surveys, some respondents have chosen the ‘prefer not to answer’ box, or they may disguise their sexuality rather than reveal this sort of information to researchers.
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
