Religious Fascism: The Repeal of Section 28 - Tapa blanda

This wasn’t Germany in 1935; it was Scotland in 2000 when MSP Wendy Alexander announced repeal of anti-gay law ‘Section 28’. Christian fundamentalist Brian Souter poured £2m into a ‘Keep the Clause’ campaign backed by a tabloid newspaper, Cardinal Winning of the Catholic Church and a string of influential social conservatives. Billboards went up across Scotland vilifying homosexual practices. Newspapers spread warnings of gay ‘cliques’ and an ‘international conspiracy’. Attempts were made to close gay organisations whilst doors and windows were smashed. Intellectuals who lent support were denounced. It was a time when diagrams appeared in newspapers illustrating homosexuals’ distinguishing features. Parliament buckled while a community in crisis endured verbal abuse, beatings, suicides and murders. A lesson in history that lends meaning to events today.

Garry Otton is the author of 'Sexual Fascism' (Sex in the Scottish media) and is the founder of the Scottish Secular Society.