'Gay sex kits' : lessons in the history of British sex education
Abstract
This article details the genesis, making, release and reaction to ‘Homosexuality: A Fact of Life’, an educational tape-slide kit produced by the Tyneside branch of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality in the late 1970s. The kit is situated in relation to the history of sex education in Britain and beyond, and compared to other subsequent examples of educational materials that have caused a furore: the book Jenny Lives With Eric and Martin and its connection to Section 28, and the No Outsiders programme that generated protests in 2019. It is argued that the tactics adopted by the makers of ‘Homosexuality: A Fact of Life’ could serve as a valuable toolbox for future activists.
Citation
Davis , G 2021 , ' 'Gay sex kits' : lessons in the history of British sex education ' , Third Text , vol. 35 , no. 1 , pp. 145-160 . https://doi.org/10.1080/09528822.2020.1861872
Publication
Third Text
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0952-8822Type
Journal article
Description
The research for this essay was funded as part of the ‘Cruising the 1970s: Unearthing Pre-HIV/AIDS Queer Sexual Cultures’ project, financed by HERA and the European Commission.Collections
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