> Clause 28 was Thatcherite, "no state funding to 'promote' homosexuality,
> " homophobia.
Not quite. Section 28 (appended below) prevented local authorities from allowing teachers to "promote homosexuality" in schools. It only affected local authorities, and wasn't specifically tied to the question of state funding.
Nobody was ever prosecuted under Section 28, during its decade-plus existence, but it was always a symbol of how poisonous Thatcherism became in the late 1980s (not that it wasn't poisonous before then).
It was finally repealed very recently -- hence the rightist campaigns for its restoration will be getting underway.
Chris
***
28.‹(1) The following section shall be inserted after section 2 of the [1986 c. 10.] Local Government Act 1986 (prohibition of political publicity)‹
"Prohibition on promoting homosexuality by teaching or by publishing material.
2A. ‹ (1) A local authority shall not‹
(a) intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality;
(b) promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.
(2) Nothing in subsection (1) above shall be taken to prohibit the doing of anything for the purpose of treating or preventing the spread of disease. (3) In any proceedings in connection with the application of this section a court shall draw such inferences as to the intention of the local authority as may reasonably be drawn from the evidence before it. (4) In subsection (1)(b) above "maintained school" means,‹
(a) in England and Wales, a county school, voluntary school, nursery school or special school, within the meaning of the Education Act 1944; and
(b) in Scotland, a public school, nursery school or special school, within the meaning of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980."
(2) This section shall come into force at the end of the period of two months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.