Welsh TV and radio presenter Owain Wyn Evans has always been a strong advocate for LGBTQ rights and matters, sharing his personal experiences. In a clip for BBC Breakfast and Newsround, Owain re-visited his old school in Ammanford to talk about the impact Section 28 had on his life.
Section 28 was introduced in 1988 and banned councils and schools from promoting homosexuality. This meant many schools did not include gay rights, gay history or examples of gay families in their curriculum. You can keep up to date with the latest TV and showbiz news by signing up to the newsletter here.
The law was abolished in 2003 in England and Wales, however, Owain was in school when Section 28 was still in place. In what he called "a very special and emotional film to make" Owain visited his old school and chatted to pupil Connor who is gay.
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Owain said: "When I was in school, to be honest, I didn't really know what Section 28 was, but what I saw was the product of Section 28 which was homophobia, it strengthened people's thoughts that homophobia was alright." He added: "It took me a really long time to actually be alright with the fact that I was gay."
The presenter explained he was worried he would not be accepted when he told people he was gay and Connor shared his story about telling his Christian grandma he was gay. Connor said: "She found it difficult at first, she did, but she said something that always stuck with me, she said 'no matter what you say or no matter what you do, I will always love you for who you are'," while Owain welled up.
Owain went on to say how grateful he was that times had moved on, allowing Connor to speak openly about his sexuality. He said: "While there is still a long way to go, I am just so glad that young people like Connor can now be true to themselves and love whoever they want to."
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