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Outrageous!: The Story of Section 28 and Britain’s Battle for LGBT Education
£9.50
On 23 May 1988, Paul Baker sat down with his family to eat cake on his sixteenth birthday while The Six O’Clock News played in the background. But something was not quite right. There was muffled shouting – ‘Stop Section 28!’ – and a scuffle. The morning papers would announce: ‘Beeb Man Sits on Lesbian’. The next day Section 28 passed into law, forbidding local authorities from teaching ‘the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’. It would send shockwaves through British society, silencing gay pupils and teachers while galvanizing mass protests and the formation of the LGBTQ+ rights groups OutRage! and Stonewall. Now available in paperback, Outrageous! tells the full story: the background to the Act, how the press fanned the flames and what politicians said during debates, how protestors fought back to bring about the repeal of the law in the 2000s, and its eventual legacy. Based on detailed research, interviews with key figures – including Ian McKellen, Michael Cashman and Angela Mason – and personal recollection, it is an impassioned, warm, often moving account of unthinkable prejudice enshrined within law, and of the power of community to overcome it.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Reaktion Books (1 Feb. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 328 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1789147093 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1789147094 |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 1.78 x 19.69 cm |
by Musicals Fan
Outrageous! is one of the best nonfiction books I’ve read in a long time! I’m dyslexic & a slow reader: I read the book in one session & could not put it down! Brilliant writing & packed with information. I have bought four more books to read more about the subject.
I was 25 and in my first year at teacher training college when Section 28 became law. It was a terrible time to be LGBT+ and working in education. Paul Baker tells the story in a very engaging way (and thankfully, not without humour!).
This book might help explain why Charlie (from Heartstopper) was bullied and how only one teacher helped and supported him.
by Steve
This is a thoroughly researched, compelling account, not just of the notorious Section 28 itself, but also of the persecution and ill treatment of gay men, including media abuse and physical attacks. It is particularly good in showing how Section 28 was the culmination of a series of prejudicial moves based entirely on ignorance, prejudice and cruelty. It also shows how the impact of Section 28 was pervasive, preventing most discussion of relationship issues in schools and therefore denying young people access to helpful advice.
The book is timely since we can already see similar moves being made in the United States today.
by Serenegreen
I learnt so much from this book about the impact of section 28 legislation and my own experiences at school being a product of these policies and the huge impact it has had upon my generation.
by Dom
Read this book previously tells the facts well a good read bought another copy for a young trans person who hadn’t heard of section 28, need to not let these injustices be forgotten, and reaming the younger generation of what others went through
by Claire Estelle
Really important and immensely readable history of Section 28 legislation designed to stop the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality and the normalisation of ‘pretended’ LGBT families. The book is well written, the research is thorough without being dry, the authors writing style is engaging as well as informative. I also really liked that the author was inclusive, including stories of how HIV education was being stopped, as well as lesbians who were under increased risk of losing their children in custody battles, to the formation of Stonewall and OutRage!. As someone who lived through those times, it was useful to remember just what it was like to be queer in Thatcher’s UK, (very much like what it is to be Trans in today’s UK). So much has changed in a short period of time it’s easy to focus on that but this book is a vital reminder of understanding where we have come from and what we have survived as a community. Highly recommended.
by SAMUEL KEIR
I loved this book! My high school days were 1999-2004, so I count myself as one of those impacted by Section 28. It has taken many years for me to reconcile my identity and place in the world as a gay man, but this book has helped me a lot and revealed some answers for me. The author frames everything with exceptional levels of detail, but it is all explained in a clear and straightforward manner.
I have often felt conflicted, angry and at times bitter about Section 28 and often did not know how to feel about moving forward. This book has helped me refocus and see things in a more positive light.
One key take away for me: “We still have a duty to those still in the queue.”