Definition: A landmark gay rights victory in the United Kingdom. The report, written in 1957, recommended that homosexual acts be decriminalized in the UK.
The Wolfenden Report, named after committee chair Sir John Wolfenden, stemmed from a Royal Commission charge to investigate Britain laws on homosexuality after a series of highly publicized prosecutions of individuals for homosexual acts. The report did not condone homosexuality, but saw laws against gays as violations of civil liberties. The Wolfenden Report also found that homosexuality was not a disease and thus psychiatric care for gays was not needed.
Amid heated debate, the Homosexual Law Reform Society lobbied for the adoption of the report into law. In 1967, the Sexual Offences Bill was enacted into British law with a few concessions, such as setting 21 as the legal age of consent (later reduced to 16).
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The Wolfenden Report, named after committee chair Sir John Wolfenden, stemmed from a Royal Commission charge to investigate Britain laws on homosexuality after a series of highly publicized prosecutions of individuals for homosexual acts. The report did not condone homosexuality, but saw laws against gays as violations of civil liberties. The Wolfenden Report also found that homosexuality was not a disease and thus psychiatric care for gays was not needed.
Amid heated debate, the Homosexual Law Reform Society lobbied for the adoption of the report into law. In 1967, the Sexual Offences Bill was enacted into British law with a few concessions, such as setting 21 as the legal age of consent (later reduced to 16).
More on Sodomy Laws:
Also Known As: Report of the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution
