The most prominent sign that Thatcher was homophobic is evident through the introduction of ‘Section 28’, which was included in the Local Government Act (1988). Section 28 stated that schools or a local authority ‘shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality’. Thatcher wanted children to be influenced into thinking that the most ideal family unit was one which consisted of a wife and a husband. During the 1980s, an anti-gay sentiment had been gaining increasing popularity throughout society as a reaction to the HIV/AIDS crisis. The LGBTQ+ society faced unfair prejudice during this period and were blamed for the spreading of the disease. There was also the belief that the disease was ‘God’s punishment’ for people’s sins as a result of performing homosexual acts. Thatcher should have used her power to heal and condemn the growing hatred towards the LGBTQ+ population. She could have used her authority to support the community and made people aware that AIDS was a disease that equally affected straight people. Instead, she worsened the situation by her introduction of Section 28, which fed into the false narrative that the LGBTQ + community were to blame for many health problems within society. The banning of the promotion of homosexual relations also indicates that she thought these relations were something to disapprove of and avoid. It seems that she was trying to reverse the progress that the last twenty years had made since the legalisation of homosexual relations. Therefore, the introduction of Section 28 acts as clear evidence that Margaret Thatcher had homophobic tendencies which influenced her policy making. WORKS CITED: Wakefield Lily and Kelleher Patrick, ‘The terrible history of Margaret Thatcher’s homophobic Section 28, 17 years since it was repealed in England and Wales’ (18 November 2020), https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/11/18/section-28-margaret-thatcher-anniversary-homophobia-repeal-england-wales/ Sommerlad Joe, ‘Section 28: What was Margaret Thatcher’s controversial law and how did it affect the lives of LGBTQ+ people’ (25 May 2018), https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/section-28-explained-lgbt-education-schools-homosexuality-gay-queer-margaret-thatcher-a8366741.html

I agree that it is apparent Margaret Thatcher is homophobic because of her support and promotion of Section 28, despite her declared sympathy for gay people she was familiar with. The consequences of her actions reverberate today, and she was definitely expressive of how LGBTQ+ people were treated at that time, and the way they were associated with disease and decadence. Matthew Todd writes that the '1987 election saw Tory ad campaigns trying to portray Labour as actively trying to pervert children. One billboard showed a line of young men wearing badges such as "Gay pride" and "Gay sports day" with a slogan, "This is Labour's camp. Do you want to live in it?', spreading propaganda against a new way of celebrating difference. I believe that Thatcher's stance towards people of different sexual orientation is deeply affected by her traditional views on family, which she upheld on a personal and political level throughout her whole life. For more on Thatcher and LGBTQ+ rights, you can follow this link: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/10/margaret-thatcher-poster-girl-gay-rights