50 Years Legal

Synopsis:

In 1967, homosexuality ceased to be illegal in the UK, 2017 will be its 50th anniversary, but despite legislation being introduced since then towards establishing equal rights, how far has society progressed in accepting this progress.

Fifty years ago, loving the wrong person, smiling at someone in the park or being in the wrong address book could lead to your arrest and conviction. Between 1967 and 2003, 30,000 gay and bisexual men were convicted for behaviour that would not have been a crime had their partner been a woman and gay hate crimes still continue to occur. In a number of other countries around the world, being homosexual can still lead to a death sentence being imposed.

This feature length documentary will use archive materials and contributions from leading activists and commentators in the media industry and other walks of life to explore the changes that have taken place since decriminalisation in the UK and the influence of gay culture on society.

Contributors include:

Sir Elton John, Rupert Everett, Sir Ian McKellen, Cameron McIntosh, Sam Smith, Alan Carr, David Hockney, Will Young, Stephen Fry, Graham Norton, Boy George, Sandy Torsvig, Sue Perkins, Clare Balding amongst others.