Since we launched the Section 28 Justice Coalition in February 2026, we have been overwhelmed by the response from LGBTQ+ people and allies, who have made it clear action is needed to formally recognise the harms of Section 28.
We launched a petition at the conference 'After Section 28: LGBTQ+ Rights in an Age of Censorship and Backlash' with the hope we would receive 10,000 signatures and a response from the Government.
We are so grateful to the 26,236 people who signed the petition, and although it has now closed the campaign is far from over.
On the 12th June we reached 10,000 signatures.
The Petitions Committee informed us that the Government has agreed to respond to petitions that reach 10,000 signatures within 21 days.
Today, the Government has provided their initial response, which you can read on their platform. They have said:
"In light of the above we do not believe that establishing a public inquiry into the impact of Section 28 is the right approach, but we do recognise the significant impact it has had on those who lived through it, including following its repeal. Public inquiries are typically used to establish facts about what happened and why, and to learn from events in order to reduce the likelihood of something similar happening in future. Since the law was passed in Parliament, its origins and motivations are already on the public record. A public inquiry would not establish any new facts. The Act and its impacts continue to be a relevant topic during discussions on LGBT+ equality policy, so the mistakes of the past are never repeated."
We are disappointed the Government response has focussed on progress for LGBTQ+ communities generally rather than the core issue of the petition — an apology for the harms caused by Section 28, hearing the impact this law had from people impacted, and to learn lessons that can be put into action now to stop LGBTQ+ censorship.
A Public Inquiry is a mechanism that would be able to achieve our aims — hearing testimonies from the people impacted by Section 28 and recommending ways to prevent LGBTQ+ censorship happening again.
The Government does not need a public inquiry to do this — they can hear testimonies without an inquiry, they can take action to stop LGBTQ+ censorship without an inquiry and they can apologise for Section 28 without an inquiry.
We are committed to working with the Government and any organisation to achieve an apology for Section 28 and stop LGBTQ+ censorship — in whatever way. Our door remains open.
The response states that Section 28 was repealed
- It does not acknowledge that it took 15 years before Section 28 was finally rescinded and that its shadow lasted much longer. We have evidence of the damage on people living, working and being educated under this law.
- It does not address the issue that repealing the law didn't suddenly mean that schools were LGBTQ+ inclusive places. We know that many still are not.
- It does not acknowledge that the testimonies from those who lived, worked and were educated under Section 28 and were impacted by it, are not on the public record.
The response states that David Cameron apologised for Section 28
- It does not recognise that this was before Cameron was Prime Minister. He apologised on behalf of the Conservative Party, not on behalf of the Government.
The response points to actions the Government is taking now, such as a trans-inclusive conversion practices ban
- It does not talk about action it will take to prevent Councils and other Institutions removing LGBTQ+ visibility or censoring LGBTQ+ lives which we are witnessing now.
The response says that the origins and motivations of Section 28 are in the public record
- It does not recognise that the origins and events that led to Section 28 have not been fully explored or put on public record. There are accounts of parliamentarians acknowledging they were taking a censorship based approach across adjacent bills at the time, and evidence of organisations, who still exist today, lobbying all party parliamentary groups. None of this is formally documented on public record.
The response says a public inquiry would not establish new facts
- It does not address that an inquiry would investigate the impact of Section 28 and recommend ways to stop censorship happening again. Knowing why the law was passed and repealed by Governments is not the same as understanding how it affected people's lives. Without investigating the scale and nature of that continuing harm, the Government cannot know what support people need to recover or how to prevent similar harm from happening again.
The response says that the Government is committed to advancing LGBT+ equality
- It does not address that some of the Government's policies are continuing LGBTQ+ inequality. For example the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance released this year puts restrictions on trans young people, like needing to consult the wider school community to be known as a different name, which cis people are not subjected to.
There has not been any proper review of this legislation
We believe it is reasonable and fair to seek a public inquiry on legislation that affected a marginalised community over a long period of time, and for the statements of impact to be heard and recognised publicly by the UK Government.
In the past, the Government has made apologies to LGBTQ+ communities before, including apologising to veterans for egregious historic LGBT policy in the Armed Forces and conducting reviews on what happened to them.
We believe the generations of young people, educators and local authority workers who had to stay silent, hide their identities and censor LGBTQ+ topics where they worked deserve an apology and recognition for the long term damage this law caused.
Our hope is that lessons learned from reviewing the impact can be taken forward to tackle increasing censorship of LGBTQ+ in public life, and that we don't allow a similar law or policy to be implemented again, whether by law or social pressure.
We still believe a public inquiry is a suitable process to achieve these aims
A public inquiry would be a truly independent and thorough investigation into the impact of Section 28 and how it came about. An inquiry would identify key learnings and comprehensive ways to stop LGBTQ+ censorship now and in the future.
Crucially, those who lived through Section 28 would have a right to be heard on record about the impact it had on their lives.
We recognise there are other ways to achieve our aims and the UK Government could make an apology and create a mechanism for those impacted by Section 28 to be heard. We are open to working with the Government to explore other suitable routes to achieve our aims. Section 28 is not a resolved issue, and one of importance as we recognise the increased risk of LGBTQ+ censorship currently in the UK.
However, a public inquiry feels like a fitting model that allows independence and proper scrutiny of what happened and the most effective ways to safeguard LGBTQ+ visibility now.
We are still seeking to collect as many signatures as possible, our petition is open until the 24th September 2026.
Please sign the petition and share widely.
Alongside the petition we continue our work in securing our aims:
- We want the UK Government to deliver a meaningful apology to those impacted by Section 28
- We want the UK Government to commit to recognising and hearing survivor testimonies from people impacted by Section 28
- We want the UK Government to publish lessons learned from Section 28 and a commitment to protecting LGBTQ+ visibility in public life
This is work that forms part of our wider vision — a world where LGBTQ+ people are positively represented across public life and institutions, and censorship of LGBTQ+ people, in all its forms, is eradicated.
We continue in our other work which you can help us with:
- Sign our pledge, as an individual or organisation, to publicly stand against LGBTQ+ censorship and be ready to support us in the next step of securing our aims of an apology for Section 28 from the UK Government
- Contribute to our Dear Section 28 project, an online archive of personal letters and impact statements of people who lived and worked through Section 28
- Donate to Don't Say Gay, a feature length documentary that explores the history of Section 28 with the personal stories of those who lived through it, currently in development
- Submit research or resources you believe provide evidence of the impact of Section 28 on people who lived and worked through Section 28
We are continuing to:
- Lobby politicians to take action in acknowledging the harms of Section 28, stopping censorship, and to push for a public inquiry into Section 28 and other means of achieving our aims
- Collate research that already exists on Section 28 and LGBTQ+ inclusion now
- Continue to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ people by platforming their experiences of Section 28 and highlighting instances of censorship
Head over to section28justice.co.uk to sign the petition, and the pledge.
Join us in seeking justice and recognition for the people impacted by Section 28.