Stance, ana very proud and inspired by the brav- › Kate Ahrens ery and perseverance of Is well as crimithe hundreds who cheerfully put up with several \nalising squatdays of cold and bore- ting, removing the dom, with very little to right to silence, baneat and drink but an ning raves and stopamazing sense of soli- ping demonstrations, the new Criminal Jus There could be many tice Act also ventures more Claremont Roads into the sexual arena, ana it s good to inink we by reducing the gay may inspire other peo male age of consent from 21 to 18.
Although at first glance a lowering of the age of consent mav annear to be a positive move, practice the new law is an encouragement to the police to crack down the even harder on young gay laws!). men under 18.
The use of an age of consent in law has always been used to pre vent all young people from making their own choices about when and witn wnom to nave sex. but gay men are further are unfortunately alive discriminated against by and well in the corridors having a higher age of of nower. consent than straight The truth is that the Age people (lesbians are not of Consent laws serve no recognised as existing in useful purpose whatsoWage of consent ever in protecting young people from sexual asCJA sault or rape, and these The Criminal Justice crimes are dealt with by Act continues this dis- completely separate crimination ano ine de laws. bate on the subject in the The age of consent House of Commons means that young peoproved again inat preju- ple are taken into care, dice and homophobia put in Borstal, sent for