1967 saw Sexual Offences Act and Abortion Act passed. But only one is celebrated.

[WhereYouLeftIt]

Was pondering this yesterday. The BBC has a whole season dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, but is silent on the legalisation of abortion.

Why?

Women died going through illegal abortions. Shouldn't the end of this atrocity be celebrated? Or is it because it only affected women, it's not important? Or is abortion still something to be squeamish about? Can't quite decide why it seems to be being swept under the carpet. We could have celebrated both, as a sign of how 1967 saw a cultural move, but instead, one is celebrated and the other ignored.

well, perhaps because one is about it being legal to be open about who you are, and not having to spend your whole life pretending to be something you are not - whereas the other isnt really something that defines you.

The Abortion Act has positively effected the lives of many woman who would otherwise have had an illegal abortion or face a child they didn't want to have, but it doesn't define woman.

But yes, put together, they both show a shift in the political mindset towards individual choices in 1967, that said, the abortion act didn't make it a woman's free choice, there was still the requirement to prove that she needed it, not just wanted it, to 2 doctors.

Fucking excellent observation. Here's to the right to choose!

I don't think the 2 are comparable for the reasons InvisibleKittens gives in the first 2 paragraphs of her post.

I am not sure how it would be possible to have a positive celebration of a woman's right to be able to access an abortion which is not interpreted as a positive celebration of abortion. If it were seen as the latter I don't think it would be helpful at all in say the cause of extending abortion provision in NI.

This occurred to me when I was watching the programme about Lord Montagu and Peter Wildeblood. Woman's Hour have mentioned it, obviously, and did features about it but I'm not sure if anyone else did.

Graham Linehan has campaigned for abortion in NI and (I think) he said something like it will be difficult as although we've just had equal marriage come in, that's a thing that makes people happy and it feels like a positive thing and people are getting married etc whereas abortion, however vital and necessary, is still abortion. It's not something that brings people together.

People might disagree on whether or not it defines them. Some women who are public figures have openly said I would not have this life/be where I am if I hadn't been able to have an abortion when I did.

Not really agreeing/disagreeing, just some thoughts.

Do we really want to celebrate abortion in the same way of celebrating folks freedom to love someone of the same sex?

I don't think a celebration would be appropriate, exactly (although I'm sure many individual women have celebrated that right since 1967) but a documentary to mark the occasion would have been good. You know, a look at how illegal abortions were performed and the ramifications for women and the process that led to the change in law. I mean something had to change the politicians minds, and back in 1967 these will have been a vast majority of male politicians - so what did happen? it would be nice to know.

Or they could have at least televised the Mike Leigh film about the lady that carries out illegal abortions - Vera Drake, I think?

I think safe, legal, free, medically supervised abortions being available to women is absolutely something to celebrate. Good point OP

Agree with programmes and articles on how abortion is necessary and how it was before. Maybe focuss on several womens lives regarding abortion and lack of safe abortions. Just don't want to throw a party or a fun pride style parade for it.

I'm not sure we are celebrating abortion so much as the 'right to choose', which the feminist movement fought long and hard for. For me, it's very much something to celebrate.

I think it's something to commemorate at least. Good observation OP.

Personally I think we should be much more open about abortion and be vocal about the positive and healthy decisions so many women have made in the 50 years since.

Harry, Graham Linehan was talking about the Republic of Ireland there, not Northern Ireland. The ROI legalised gay marriage in 2015 but there is no gay marriage in NI.

It shows the bizarre disconnect in the ROI where we have a gay prime minister who preens himself on our marriage equality but holds backwards conservative views on abortion. He says his views have "evolved" a bit, presumably we have to sit around like good women waiting for them to evolve to where the UK was at in 1967. Prick.

cuir arghh yes I nearly put Ireland then I corrected myself.

I agree. I'm also getting a bit fed up with the focus of the BBC being on gay men. Not heard any lesbian voices at all.

I agree. I'm also getting a bit fed up with the focus of the BBC being on gay men. Not heard any lesbian voices at all

Well, there's a surprise. Not that lesbianism needed to be decriminalised (I don't think??), but you'd think that they would have at least some focus on lesbian women, many of whom were even more hidden from history than gay men.

I listened to a play or audiobook on 4 extra yesterday, about a lesbian. To be honest it surprised me, as the focus has been on men.

Have you been listening to Front Row's Gay Icons slot? I haven't done a spreadsheet on it but the selection of speakers and icons seemed balanced.

Agree with programmes and articles on how abortion is necessary and how it was before. Maybe focuss on several womens lives regarding abortion and lack of safe abortions. Just don't want to throw a party or a fun pride style parade for it

Agreed.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/27/50-years-homosexuality-decriminalised-sexual-offences-act-1967#comments

Four gay men and Julie Bindel. And some commenters seem outraged that she's talking about women at all as the 1967 Act referred to gay men only. Because obviously things were so fucking brilliant for lesbians in 1967 weren't they?

I see the act as symbolic of wider acceptance of homosexuality as well as specifically affecting gay men. The former also impacted lesbians so I'd be interested to hear their voices in discussions about the culture of the 60s and things becoming more open.

Women may never have criminalised like men but we have never been free to choose. Gay men could stay 'single' and have a career. Could an average woman do that? No she had to marry. Oh and don't think that has gone away. I know very well someone who did what was expected. She is in her 30s btw.

And I'm very pleased that the act was passed.