Dear Section 28 - Pride 2026 Workshop highlight
‘Our petition to a public inquiry is the first step in our mission. An inquiry would finally give a proper acknowledgement of the harm caused by all of those who lived under Section 28 and would help provide comprehensive ways that this country could make sure nothing like it ever happens again’
Stevie Jones & Sarah Drummond
Section 28 Justice Coalition
We are so excited to have Section 28 Justice Coalition with us at Exeter Pride 2026, running a workshop called ‘Dear Section 28, letter writing’.
The Section 28 Justice Coalition has launched itself as a campaign group to call for a public inquiry into the impact of Section 28 on LGBTQ+ people.
“Legislation is not the only way that censorship is enforced. Increasingly, we’re seeing more and more pressure to stop discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in schools, de-fund LGBTQ+ initiatives, protest at art and cultural events and an increase in pressure on librarians and book banning.”
Section 28 refers to a part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". It remained law in England and Wales until 2003, and in Scotland until 2000. This was interpreted by schools and other council services as meaning that staff could not talk about anything to do with same-sex relationships, even if someone asked them for support.
The Section 28 Justice Coalition has been formed by a group of interested people from a range of backgrounds who met at the conference 'After Section 28: LGBTQ+ Rights in an Age of Censorship and Backlash' in February 2026. The group will focus on campaigning for proper acknowledgement of the harms of Section 28, as well as better support for LGBTQ+ people now in all areas of public life and against censorship of LGBTQ+ issues.
Our ‘Dear Section 28’ project is also collecting evidence on the impact of Section 28 in schools and wider sectors, including libraries, public services, institutions and the arts and cultural sector. It will host an archive of personal experiences through letters addressed directly to Section 28, with a film entitled ‘Don’t Say Gay’ to be completed this year. The team are looking for volunteers to run Dear Section 28 writing workshops across the country to collect letters from people impacted by Section 28.
Co-Chairs and two of the co-founders of the Section 28 Justice Coalition, Stevie Jones and Sarah Drummond, said: ‘We know that Section 28 created an awful environment for a generation of LGBTQ+ people in schools. So many were left without support in a state-sponsored silence, which left young people and staff scared to talk about who they were. It spread beyond schools, into all activities of local government, resulting in artists being banned from performing, vital health services for LGBTQ+ people being cancelled, and books being taken off shelves. We will work tirelessly to ensure all LGBTQ+ people are able to proudly live as themselves in every area of public life and will work with international partners across the world in this shared purpose.
Be sure to Check out their workshop at 13:30 in Exeter Phoenix in the Workshop Room.
The group is currently seeking more volunteers to help with the mission and high-profile patrons to help spread the message of equality without censorship.
For more information, check out their Instagram here!