Part of LGBT history since 1964

The Campaign for Homosexual Equality was founded in 1964 by Allan Horsfall and others as the North Western Committee for Homosexual Law Reform. It played a key part in the campaigns leading up to the decriminalisation of male homosexual activities in 1967. Thereafter it broadened its activity, and in 1969 it was renamed the Committee for Homosexual Equality.

In 1971 CHE changed its name to the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, and over the next few years grew to have a membership of over 6,000 with more than 100 local groups in all parts of England and Wales, as described in our book Amiable Warriors: The History of CHE and its Times. See our History of CHE page for a very brief summary.

Today the situation for LGBT people in the UK has improved beyond the wildest dreams of the early campaigners; the need now is to safeguard what has been achieved, and to record the proud history of CHE as a tribute to the pioneers and as a reminder of the days of repression that must not be allowed to return.

CHE today

During 2020 and 2021, with normal activities suspended because of Covid-19, CHE undertook a process of transition, described in more detail on our transition page, and including setting up of a charity, the CHE Research Trust (CHERT; see the CHERT website). CHERT's main function will be to support the researching, writing, publication and marketing of our story, primarily in the form of Amiable Warriors, but equally addressing LGBT+ history more generally.

The transition process culminated with the CHE's 50th Annual Conference, on 15 October 2022 (full Minutes available on the CHERT website – PDF file) which voted to adopt a new, simpler constitution and to transfer the bulk of CHE's funds to CHERT. The officers and Executive Committee of CHE all stood down at this Conference, and handed over to the new six-strong Board of Trustees of CHERT (three of whom had been CHE EC members up to thst point). CHE's main function is now to support the work of CHERT, but will also be able to undertake projects that fall outside CHERT's charitable objects.

CHE membership

We are no longer processing membership renewals. Anyone who was a paid-up member of CHE during 2019 continued to be a member without further payment. Following the October 2022 Conference, membership of CHE has been superseded by Associate Membership of CHERT. For more details, see https://chert.org.uk/contact.shtml.