ReportOUT welcomes petition for a Public Inquiry into Section 28 reaching 10,000 signatures
- ReportOUT
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
ReportOUT, is delighted that the petition for a public inquiry into Section 28 has surpassed the 10,000 signatures which means the Government has to respond. ReportOUT is a member of the Section 28 Justice Coalition which launched the petition and campaign.
"History shows us what happens when that goes unchallenged. We are not going to let it. We are hugely grateful to everyone who has signed the petition and we are delighted that the petition has reached ten thousand signatures so the Government has to respond.
Section 28 banned the "promotion of homosexuality" in UK schools and local authorities from 1988 to 2003 but its harms have never been formally acknowledged by any UK Government.
Signing our pledge here to affirm your and/or your organisation's commitment to LGBTQ+ people and against censorship.
Sarah Drummond, Co-Chair of the Section 28 Justice Coalition, said: ‘Section 28 didn't just silence LGBTQ+ people through law — it operated alongside and reinforced wider cultural pressures that made LGBTQ+ lives invisible. That combination of legislative and cultural silencing is re-emerging today, driven by the same moral panic playbook: culture war rhetoric, political pressure, defunding of services, and the erosion of hard-won visibility.
"History shows us what happens when that goes unchallenged. We are not going to let it. We are hugely grateful to everyone who has signed the petition and we are delighted that the petition has reached ten thousand signatures so the Government has to respond.
"We are staggered by the response from the LGBTQ+ community and our allies who have come resonated with our message and stood with us to demand action".
The Section 28 Justice Coalition launched in February to campaign for justice for all those who lived under Section 28 and fight against increasing LGBTQ+ censorship happening now in the UK and abroad.
The organisation is completely volunteer led with no funding but has used social media and networks to raise awareness and garner support. Over ten thousand people have signed the petition for a public inquiry into the impact of Section 28 on LGBTQ+ people.
Over 150 individuals and organisations have signed the coalition’s public pledge standing against LGBTQ+ censorship. The Government must now respond to the petition.
The coalition was founded by a group of interested individuals who met at the conference 'After Section 28: LGBTQ+ Rights in an Age of Censorship and Backlash' in February 2026. Section 28 banned the "promotion of homosexuality" in UK schools and local authorities from 1988 to 2003 but its harms have never been formally acknowledged by any UK Government. Similar forms of censorship are re-emerging — through legislation internationally, UK policy changes, defunding of LGBTQ+ services, and shifting public attitudes.
The coalition of different projects and organisations is united by a public pledge
against LGBTQ+ censorship
The coalition is raising awareness of the harms of Section 28 and fighting against LGBTQ+ censorship through:
● Petition — Calling for a public inquiry into Section 28's impact on LGBTQ+ people
● Parliament Pressure — Building relationships with MPs and the APPG to push for
formal research and recognition
● Research — Curating existing evidence and commissioning new studies on Section
28's legacy
● Pledge — A public commitment for individuals and organisations to stand against
LGBTQ+ censorship now and in the future
● Dear Section 28 — An online archive of personal letters from people who lived
through it, forming a powerful evidence base
● Don't Say Gay — A feature-length documentary weaving together the history of
Section 28 and the personal stories of those who lived it, in production with release
date set for 2027
The coalition has recruited volunteers who are attending Pride events across the UK this
summer to encourage people to sign the petition, and will march in the Pride in London
Parade on 4th July.
The coalition has made contact with all LGBTQ+ organisations across the country with many signing the public pledge, including national charities like ReportOUT and Gendered Intelligence. Other signatures include national campaigns, youth services, pride organisations, networks and local charities.
Actor Russell Tovey, prominent interior designer Hannah Drakeford, and singer Boy George have shared the coalition’s videos on instagram and urged people to sign the petition.
Lord Michael Cashman, who co-founded Stonewall and portrayed the first gay kiss on British television has publicly supported the petition. On a video posted to the campaign’s instagram page, he said ‘I’ve signed the petition because it’s important that we hold Governments accountable for what they do, we’ve done it on other anti-LGBT+ legislation, it’s vital that we do it on Section 28’.
Sue Sanders, who co-founded LGBTQ+ History month is also a co-founder of the Coalition. She said ‘It is crucial the effects of Section 28 are investigated as they affected an entire generation in the UK and was used as a blue print to promote national homophobia in so many countries’.
There is a growing evidence base that pressure is being put on public institutions to be silent about LGBTQ+ people, leading to censorship of LGBTQ+ lives in the public sphere:
● A Survey of school librarians found that 53% had been asked to remove books and 56% of them had removed the requested books. CILIP survey in 2023 found that a third of librarians in public libraries had been asked to remove books
● Just like Us Growing up LGBT+ report on bullying, schools and mental health (2021) found that 48% of pupils had little to zero positive messaging about LGBT+ at school with 31% of school staff saying their colleagues or school board are a barrier to LGBT+ inclusion.
● In 2026, Reform UK Council in Essex has banned libraries from holding LGBTQ+
events during pride month
● Reform UK council withdrew funding for Durham Pride with deputy leader saying
funds should only be spent on ‘uncontested causes’
● Schools have cancelled LGBTQ+ speakers, including novelist Simon James Green in
2022 and co-Chair of the coalition Sarah Drummond in 2025.
● A School librarian is currently facing disciplinary action for refusing to remove books
from Manchester library, which includes LGBTQ+ titles
