When was homosexuality legalised in the UK and what was the penalty for gay men before the Sexual Offences Act?
CELEBRATIONS took place last year across the country to mark the 50th anniversary of homosexuality being legalised in the UK.
Before 1967, gay men could be sentenced to up to two years in prison under gross indecency laws. Here's everything you need to know.
When was homosexuality legalised in the UK?
The first step to decriminalise homosexuality in the UK was taken on July 27, 1967 when the Sexual Offences Act 1967 legalised private acts between men aged over 21.
Legal changes only applied in England and Wales.
Homosexuality was legalised in Scotland in 1980 and in Northern Ireland in 1981.
In 1994 the age of consent for homosexual men was reduced to 18 and in 2000 to 16 - the same as that for heterosexual couples.
What was the penalty for gay men before the Sexual Offences Act 1967 and how many men were convicted?
In 1885 the Labouchere Amendment introduced the crime of gross indecency, which was used to prosecute gay men until it was repealed in 1967.
Men convicted under the act could be imprisoned for up to two years, with or without hard labour.
It is estimated about 49,000 men were convicted including Alan Turing, the mathematician who cracked the enigma code, and author Oscar Wilde.
Turing, who Winston Churchill said had made the "single biggest contribution to the allied victory", committed suicide after being forced to undergo chemical castration to avoid going to jail in 1952.
Earlier this year the Government announced that thousands would be posthumously pardoned for offences under the act.
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Where in the world does homosexuality remain illegal?
In a number of countries homosexuality remains illegal.
Research conducted in 2016 found that same sex relationships are illegal in 74 countries.
In countries including Sudan, Iran and Saudi Arabia homosexuality can be punished by death.
While LGBT "propaganda" bans are in place in countries including Russia, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq and Nigeria.
