The Rights of Gay Men and Women was a discussion document published by the National Executive Committee of the British Labour Party in 1981. It was that Party’s first official document to address the subject.

Based on the Campaign for Homosexual Equality’s model ‘Law Reform Bill’ it covered a wide range of areas.  These included revisions to the 1967 Sexual Offences Act (which had supposedly decriminalised homosexuality but actually resulted in a huge increase in prosecutions of gay men), equalising the age of consent and tackling discrimination in employment.

It began with a statement from Ron Hayward, the Party’s General Secretary, which read:

“As socialists we cannot be concerned about inequalities of class, wealth, and privilege and ignore the inequalities experienced by minorities such as homosexuals. The elimination of prejudice and injustice in our society is fundamental to the fight for socialism.”

Unsurprisingly, it was attacked by the tabloid Press as further evidence that the Labour Party was run by the “Loony Left”. And, perhaps even less surprisingly, the Labour leadership went into a panic about the possible electoral impact of any perceived support for LGBT people. More concerned about the opinion of the Murdoch media than that of their own membership, the Labour leadership did everything they could to resist a commitment to LGBT rights.

The discussion document, of course, was never heard of again and the leadership’s opposition became increasingly evident over the next few years. This included friction with the Greater London Council’s Labour leadership over their pro-LGBT policies and Labour leader Michael Foot’s disowning Peter Tatchell as Labour candidate in the Bermondsey by-election.

If any further evidence was needed as to the Party’s real position on LGBT rights it can be found in Neil Kinnock’s comment when appointed as party leader in 1983. When asked what he thought about the homophobic campaign waged against Peter Tatchell during the Bermondsey by-election, Kinnock replied:

“I’m not in favour of witch hunts, but I do not mistake bloody witches for fairies!”