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TitleCambridge Campaign for Homosexual Equality
DescriptionThe Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) was established in 1964 by Allan Horsfall as the North Western Committee for Homosexual Law Reform. It became the Committee for Homosexual Equality in 1969 and the Campaign for Homosexual Equality in 1971. CHE headquarters was based initially in Manchester before moving to London.

During the 1970s, CHE played an influential role in organising local groups and campaigning to extend the Sexual Offences Act 1967 which legalised gay male sexual relations in England and Wales. The Campaign then shifted its focus to developing safe spaces for gay men and lesbians across the country through the formation of social clubs organised along similar lines to workingmen's clubs. Many local branches of the CHE were established during the 1970s including an organisation in Cambridge founded in 1972. Membership in the CHE increased greatly during this period.

In 1982 the national CHE reorganised and shifted its priorities back to campaigning work. Local CHE groups were expected to follow suit if they wished to retain CHE affiliation. This shift led to a number of new gay community groups forming to continue the social functions once administered by the CHE. In Cambridge the existing CHE branch was dissolved and a new CHE branch formed with the object of:

1. Assisting and cooperating in the implementation of the aims and policies of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality;
2. Promoting the discussion of matters relevant to the CHE and others subjects of interest;
3. Doing such things as are necessary, incidental or conducive to the achievement of the above objects, especially for the benefit of gay people in Cambridgeshire.

In practice the membership of the Cambridge CHE and Cambridge Gay Group was overlapping from the start with all old Cambridge CHE members automatically enrolled in both new groups. Formally delegates attended each other's meetings as stipulated in their respective constitutions. Informally the degree of shared membership would have ensured this state of affairs in any case.

The Cambridge CHE continued to work for the social and legal equality of the LGBT community until 1998 when the branch went into abeyance.
Date1976 - 1992
CreatorNameCambridge Campaign for Homosexual Equality
RepositoryCambridgeshire Archives
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