Editing OutRage! (section)

==Age of consent==
{{See also|Chris Morris (activist)|l1=Chris Morris}}
1994 saw the issue of [[gay rights]] become more prominent in British politics as the House of Commons debated whether to [[Sodomy law#United Kingdom|equalise the age of consent for gay sex]], then 21, with that for heterosexual sex at 16. OutRage! had organised a series of actions over the issue in previous years and it was prominent in the crowd outside Parliament on the night of the vote, where it had called for a peaceful presence. When news came through that equality had been rejected there was a near riot. Many in the crowd shouted the names of two [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] Cabinet ministers who were widely rumoured to be gay.

After the vote OutRage! managed to enter the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] National Executive Committee meeting where it protested about the 35 Labour MPs who had voted against equality. More light-heartedly, the group petitioned the [[Denmark|Danish]] embassy for an invasion so that the UK could have Denmark's more liberal legislation.

[[Peter Tatchell]] of Outrage! said in 2000: "All consenting, victimless sexual offences—homosexual and heterosexual—should be abolished, including the criminalisation of consensual adult pornography and sadomasochism. The law on the age of consent should take into account the fact that over 50 percent of young people have their first sexual experience before they are 16. Consenting sex involving partners under 16 should not be prosecuted, providing they are of similar ages and there is no evidence of pressure, manipulation or exploitation."<ref name="rosecottage">{{cite web|url=http://rosecottage.me.uk/OutRage-archives/2000h07SexOffRev.htm|title=SEX OFFENCES REVIEW "INADEQUATE"}}</ref> According to OutRage! in 2000, "A 20 year old man who has consenting gay sex with a man aged 17 is categorized as a pedophile and forced to sign the Sex Offenders' Register. In contrast, a 19 year old heterosexual man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged 13 does not have to sign the register."<ref name="rosecottage" />

Later, the amendment to the [[Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000|Sexual Offences Act]] equalised the age of consent for all sexual acts at 16 (17 in Northern Ireland).<ref>{{cite web|title=Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/44/enacted|website=legislation.gov.uk|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=20 December 2014}}</ref> The age of consent in Northern Ireland was subsequently reduced to 16 by the [[Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008]].