Letter: Gay consent at 16 a civil right
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: In 1967 the bishops in the House of Lords supported the Sexual Offences Act which was based on the Wolfenden Report of 1957. Many of them did so not because they approved of homosexual behaviour but because they made the distinction between sin and crime. Much has changed in the meantime and many Christians now think that homosexual behaviour between consenting adults is neither a sin nor a crime.
The Commons is shortly being asked to amend the Criminal Justice Bill (report, 15 January) to equalise the age of consent for homosexuals and heterosexuals so I hope church leaders will recognise this is a question of civil rights. No matter what Christians might think of homosexual behaviour, we should want to end the present discrimination. Those who feel young men need protecting, particularly between the ages of 16 and 18, should be reminded of what Wolfenden said:
There comes a time when a young man can properly be expected to stand on his own feet in this as in other matters and we find it hard to believe he needs to be protected from would-be seducers more carefully than a girl does . . . Our medical witnesses were unanimously of a view that the main sexual pattern is laid down in the early years of life and the majority of them held that it was usually fixed in main outline by the age of sixteen, many held that it was fixed much earlier.
Yours faithfully,
MALCOLM JOHNSON
Master
The Royal Foundation of
Saint Katharine
London, E14
14 January
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments