The Treasury was reported to have estimated that 6 per cent of the population, or about 3.6 million people, were either gay or lesbian.
Source: The Observer, 11 December 2005
Links: Observer report
Date: 2005-Dec
Under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, gay and lesbian couples became entitled from 5 December 2005 to register their intention to enter into a civil partnership, which offered almost the same legal rights as those enjoyed by married couples.
Source: Civil Partnership Act 2004, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Dec
A report by a joint committee of MPs and peers welcomed measures in the Equality Bill which provided additional protection against discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation, and gender.
Source: Equality Bill, Fourth Report (Session 2005-06), HL 89 and HC 766, Joint Committee on Human Rights (House of Lords and House of Commons), TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Dec
A report summarized the findings of an annual survey into the sexual behaviour of gay men.
Source: Peter Weatherburn, David Reid, Ford Hickson, Gary Hammond and Michael Stephens, Risk and Reflexion: Findings from the United Kingdom Gay Men s Sex Survey 2004, Sigma Research (020 7737 6223)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Dec
The government announced that hotels, pubs and restaurants would be banned from discriminating against lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Source: Press release 9 November 2005, Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5000)
Links: DTI press release | TUC press release | Stonewall press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A report said that the number of people living with HIV was around 58,300, including an estimated 19,700 who remained unaware of their infection and therefore undiagnosed. In 2004 there were 7,275 new HIV diagnoses, compares to 7,217 in 2003.
Source: Mapping the Issues: HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in the UK, Health Protection Agency (020 7339 1300)
Links: Report | Summary | HPA press release | National Aids Trust press release | THT press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A report examined the use of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 to prosecute people who had transmitted HIV infection to sexual partners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It considered the likely impact that criminalizing HIV transmission would have on public health, especially HIV prevention.
Source: Catherine Dodds, Peter Weatherburn, Ford Hickson, Peter Keogh and Will Nutland, Grievous Harm?: Use of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 for sexual transmission of HIV, Sigma Research (020 7737 6223)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
A new book examined the way the police and criminal justice agencies had responded to hate crime.
Source: Nathan Hall, Hate Crime, Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Aug
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on sexual health and HIV/AIDS policy.
Source: New Developments in Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Policy: Government response to the Health Select Committee?s Third Report of Session 2004?2005, Cm 6649, Department for Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report | National Aids Trust press release
Date: 2005-Jul
The Crown Prosecution Service released its first full set of figures for hate crimes committed against members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in England and Wales. Between April 2004 and March 2005, the CPS prosecuted 317 cases it identified as having a homophobic element. Of these, 190 resulted in a guilty plea and a further 34 resulted in conviction after trial. The conviction rate was 71 per cent.
Source: Press release 27 July 2005, Crown Prosecution Service (020 7796 8000)
Links: CPS press release
Date: 2005-Jul
An article used data from the 1990 and 2000 National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles to identify trends in sexual activity and behaviour.
Source: Kaye Wellings, 'Changing sexual behaviour in the UK', Seven Deadly Sins: A new look at society through an old lens, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Article | ESRC press release
Date: 2005-Jun
A new book considered the relationship between family law and family values in the way law was framed, and in the way it was being developed for new kinds of relationships - such as cross-household parenting, same-sex partner relationships, and the obligations of adults to elders.
Source: Mavis Maclean (ed.), Family Law and Family Values, Hart Publishing (01865 245533)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Jun
A report sought to raise awareness of the housing and homelessness problems facing lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Source: Deborah Gold, Sexual Exclusion: Issues and best practice in lesbian, gay and bisexual housing and homelessness, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-May
A paper explored the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender homeless people.
Source: Sexuality and Homelessness, Crisis (020 7015 1800)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
A briefing paper examined the links between heterosexism, homophobia, and the health of gay men and bisexual men.
Source: Catherine Dodds, Peter Keogh and Ford Hickson, It Makes Me Sick: Heterosexism, homophobia and the health of gay men and bisexual men, Sigma Research (020 7737 6223)
Links: Briefing (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
Researchers found that significant barriers were put in the way of people with learning difficulties exercising their human rights to consenting same-sex relationships.
Source: David Abbott and Joyce Howarth, Secret Loves, Hidden Lives? Exploring issues for people with learning difficulties who are gay, lesbian or bisexual, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary (pdf) | THT press release
Date: 2005-Apr
The Court of Appeal ruled that a lesbian who had been helping to bring up two girls before she split up with their biological mother had a right to share parental responsibility for them.
Source: The Guardian, 5 April 2005
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2005-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs identified a "lack of firm and effective leadership" by the government, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and the criminal justice agencies in Northern Ireland in tackling hate crime.
Source: The Challenge of Diversity: Hate Crime in Northern Ireland, Ninth Report (Session 2004-05), HC 548, House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Apr
The government announced (in the 2005 Budget) that same-sex 'civil partnerships' would be granted the same tax advantages as those enjoyed by married couples.
Source: Investing for our Future: Fairness and opportunity for Britain s hard-working families, HC 372, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 16 March 2005, columns 257-269, TSO | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 17 March 2005, columns 419-492, TSO
Links: Report (pdf) | Report (pdf links) | Hansard (Budget speech) | Hansard (Budget debate) | Briefing note (pdf) | HMT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs expressed concern that a 48-hour access target for sexual health services might not be achieved within the timeframe specified without additional spending, and that inadequate facilities might present a barrier to service expansion. It said that rejected asylum seekers and illegal immigrants should get HIV treatment free on the National Health Service, and criticized the withdrawal of free treatment from these groups. It also called for compulsory sex education in schools.
Source: New Developments in Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Policy, Third Report (Session 2004-05), HC 252, House of Commons Health Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | National Aids Trust press release | THT press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2005-Mar
A survey found that one-third of young gay men did not know the most basic facts about HIV and its transmission.
Source: David Reid, Peter Weatherburn, Ford Hickson, Michael Stephens and Gary Hammond, On the Move: Findings from the United Kingdom Gay Men s Sex Survey, 2003, Sigma Research (020 7737 6223)
Links: Report (pdf) | THT press release
Date: 2005-Feb