Section 28 Demonstration

Manchester, 1988

Photographs by Peter J Walsh

Section 28: A Turning Point for LGBTQ+ Rights in the UK

Section 28, also known as Clause 28, was a piece of legislation enacted across Britain that prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities. This included a ban on schools teaching “the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.”

Coming into force in May 1988, Section 28 was widely seen as an attempt to suppress the gay community at a time when it was already grappling with the AIDS epidemic and facing hostility inflamed by sensationalist media coverage. On 20 February 1988, a massive anti–Section 28 demonstration took place in Manchester, with more than 20,000 people marching through the city to express their anger at the Thatcher government. The protest culminated in Albert Square and remains one of the largest LGBTQ+ demonstrations ever held in the UK.

Photographer Peter J. Walsh — best known for documenting Manchester’s nightlife during the Madchester era — was among the few who captured this historic protest. His images provide a powerful record of a moment that helped to galvanise the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Britain.

"The Section 28 demo was one of the largest demonstrations I had covered in Manchester during that period. The starting point was on Oxford Road, by the Poly, and participants seemed to go on as far as the eye could see. Manchester City Council estimated that 20,000 people attended the demo, which was loud, happy, and vibrant. The country had been under Thatcher’s rule since 1979, and people were determined to fight against this law. The left-wing council of Manchester welcomed the marchers and stood with them in solidarity against the divisive Tory government. The LGBQT community's civil liberties were under attack by Thatcher, and we were prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and say, enough is enough."

- Peter J Walsh.