The text of the act described 'buggery' as a 'detestable and abominable Vice', punishable by death whether committed with 'mankind or beast'.
Here are some of the key dates in the history of gay rights in the UK:ġ533: The Buggery Act, the first ever law to specifically outlaw anal sex, was signed into English law. The act, which decriminalised homosexual sex acts between consenting men over the age of 21, opened the door to a slew of legal and social changes which would transform the way British society viewed same-sex relationships over the next 50 years. Fifty years ago, the Sexual Offences Act 1967 came into effect.
