Lesbian and Gay activism, but soon many lesbians associated themselves with the women's movement rather than the male-dominated gay groups.
More conservative organisations also sprang up like the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) as well as social groups. But the Labour Movement remained largely unaffected and hostile, returned in kind by the early Lesbian and Gay movement.
CHE and many of the social groups avoided any association with politics (especially the left wing variety). Many gays and lesbians wanted to keep as low a profile as possible to avoid "exposure".
In practice, the coming-out philosophy of the GLF made little headway among the masses of Lesbian and Gay workers, partly because of the lack of support trom the
However, in the late 1970s and early 80s, the ideological battle between the new "Bennite" left and the right in the Labour Movement inevitably began to raise questions about the rights of Lesbian and Gays and the The fight for LGBT rights continues in all sections of the labour movement ... and in all communities divisiveness caused by homophobia in the unions.
This new left was far more supportive of LG rights and began to argue for unions to support their LG members
In the Labour Party, a new group, Labour Campaign for Gay Rights (soon to add "Lesbian" to its name to be LCLGR) started and lobbied more and more effectively. Debates were held at Labour Party conference, and after several ycals, Equality became LP policy.
In the unions, at first mainly in the local government union NALGO (now part of Unison), LG groups became active and rapidly began to fight for non-discrimination policies in the workplace.
Activists in these worked with LCLGR activists to fight for policy at local government level. Groups soon appeared
the more "traditional" unions, but development of these was hampered by the massive Thatcherite attacks on union rights.
However, a shining beacon was lit by Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners in raising money in gay bars and visits to the South Wales coalfield.
Inevitably the Thatcher government reacted harshly to this with Section 28, which forbad the so-called "promotion" of homosexuality. The section cast a pall over education until it was repealed (way too late) in November 2003. This, however, led to a more radical movement with harder edge. Groups of Lesbians in particular performed spectacular stunts like abseiling into the House of Lords and invading the BBC news studios.
However, in spite of tabloid hysteria and Thatcherite reaction, gradually Lesbian and Gay rights became ideologically commonplace.
By the mid 1990s, institutions like the NHS were already recognising gay and lesbian partners as next of kin (I have direct experience of this).
Slowly the Blair government introduced anti-discrimination mcasures un employment (with certain outrageous exceptions for cnurch organisallons and charities) and Britain's 19th century sexual offences laws were modernised.
Today the British State is now prepared to allow samesex partnerships legal recognition and similar
Innerrights married LalICe couples.
All these rights are very limited. It is still not advisable for same sex couples to hold hands walking down the street in most parts of the country.
Transgender people still suffer enormous discrimination and barriers to expression of their identity even though they now have some legal rights. Gay men are still repressed when they meet outdoors.
Employment rights still stop short of religious organisations (such as the growing number of church schools). Homophobic beatings are still commonplace, although the police are now more inclined to take action.
However, there is no doubt that progress has been made, and today a great debt is owed to those who fought to get the Labour Movement to take up the issue in the past.
I ne war has not been won, and todav there is a new struggle to get Respect to pay real attention to the needs of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender people.
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