Over the seven decades that Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II reigned LGBTQ+ rights changed and progressed.
Thrust into the role at the age of 25, the Queen reigned through 15 British Prime Ministers, the formation of the European Union, the decolonisation of Africa and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. During her 70-year reign, the Queen also saw the decriminalisation of homosexuality and gave royal assent to laws which advanced the lives of many of the LGBTQ+ community.
While the Queen was notably quiet on LGBTQ+ issues for the majority of her time on the throne and maintained the expectation of “political neutrality”, some would argue she became more publicly pro-LGBTQ+ in the last few decades.
READ MORE: Where new PM Liz Truss stands on LGBTQ+ issues
Here’s how the rights and equality for the LGBTQ+ community changed under the Queen's reign.
Under her reign, Britain changed from a nation that threw gay men into prison for their sexuality to one where they could legally get married. When the Queen first came to power in 1952, strict anti-sodomy laws were still in place and still being implemented by those with authority, including the police. The same year saw computer scientist Alan Turing, who was famous for his contributions to mathematics and computer science which helped defeat the Nazis, plead guilty to a charge of “gross indecency” for engaging in homosexual acts and accept chemical castration as a way of aiding imprisonment. Homosexual acts weren’t fully legalised in the country until the mid-90s when the age of consent for men who have sex with other men was reduced to 18.
It is said that the Queen became more publicly pro-LGBTQ+ in the last few decades - particularly from 2013 onwards. That year not only saw the Queen grant a pardon to Alan Turing but also saw her signing a historic equal rights charter. The then 86-year-old monarch delivered a speech endorsing a new agreement between the Commonwealth nations emphasising that all those involved oppose “all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds.” While the LGBTQ+ community was not mentioned directly, at the time, many believed “other grounds” was a nod to them. Queen Elizabeth II also gave her royal stamp of approval for England and Wales to legalise gay marriage in the same year.
The following year, the Queen delivered once again for the LGBTQ+ community and extended the legalisation of same-sex marriage to Scotland. While many argue that Royal assent essentially does not mean much in itself, others took it as a sign that she was supportive of the progression of LGBTQ+ rights and equality. In 2014, one of Britain’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity groups was also congratulated by the Queen on reaching its 40th anniversary. The message to the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard read: “Best wishes and congratulations to all concerned on this most special anniversary,” according to a transcript released by Buckingham Palace.
During the Queen’s Speech in 2017, the monarch took a more visible stance on LGBTQ+ rights and stated, “My government will make further progress to tackle the gender pay gap and discrimination against people on the basis of their race, faith, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.”
In 2018, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a cousin of the Queen, come out as gay and announced he was set to marry his partner. However, it was not attended by any of the inner circle of the Royal family. The same year, Queen Elizabeth’s footman, Royal Air Force veteran Ollie Roberts, the first out gay man to hold such a position, resigned. Reports circulated online claiming it was because he felt “let down” after Buckingham Palace demoted him for “courting publicity”.
Regardless, the LGBTQ+ community will remember the Queen’s last attempt to advance the rights of their community as in May 2021, she announced the government would be outlawing the practice of conversion therapy - which according to NHS England, attempts to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity .
In a nine-minute speech to Parliament, the Queen said: “Measures will be brought forward to address racial and ethnic disparities and ban conversion therapy.” The announcement was celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community - who have been waiting for the practice to be banned since 2018 when former Prime Minister Theresa May announced she was going to do so.
Comments have been turned off for this article but you can leave your tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in this online memorial.
Receive our weekly LGBTQIA+ newsletter by signing up here .
READ NEXT
