Ian McKellen has posted his own obituary of Margaret Thatcher on his website, hoping to highlight one aspect of her Prime Ministership that he feels has been overlooked in the coverage of her death – Section 28. It’s something close to his heart, as it was the effect of the law, which banned the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality and ‘pretended family relations’ in UK schools, that prompted him to publicly reveal his sexuality.
He also co-founded Stonewall as a response to the legislation, in the hope of overturning Section 28 and fighting against the other anti-gay policies and ideas of the Thatcher years. Section 28 effectively banned any mention of homosexuality in schools until it was repealed in 2000. Although, as KcKellen notes, ‘in her dotage, Baroness Thatcher was led by her supporters into the House of Lords to vote against Section 28’s repeal: her final contribution to UK politics.’
He adds, ‘Thatcher misjudged the future when, according to her deputy chief whip, she “threw a piece of red meat (Section 28) to her right-wing wolves”. Some of these beasts survive her, albeit de-fanged.’
However McKellen is pleased that despite the anti-gay rhetoric and policies of the Thatcher years, the world has changed, and that ‘She dies too early to oppose Parliament’s inevitable acceptance of same–gender marriage.’
He does include a perhaps unexpected footnote though, especially considering how he fought against her policies when she was Prime Minister. He says that as he was watching TV and waiting for her to leave Downing Street for the last time in 1990 – after she’d been ousted by her own party – he got a phone called from Thatcher’s office, with an official telling him, “The Prime Minister has been trying to reach you. She has it in mind (so the officialese goes) to recommend that the Queen give you a knighthood.”‘
‘Then, just as I put down the phone, the big black shiny door opened and the Thatchers emerged, she crying a little. It was if she had kept the world waiting until she knew for sure that I’d been contacted. Of course not. But nevertheless, I suppose the very last thing Thatcher did as prime minster was to organise my knighthood.’
You can find all McKellen’s comments over at his website.
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