Information
gathered from various sources. Logo from website Jul 2006. Information
gathered from various sources. Logo from website Jul 2006.
From: http://outright-scotland.org.uk/ (March, 2006)
Our Aims & History
Outright Scotland began as the Scottish Minorities Group (SMG) in 1969, when it held meetings to look at issues then relevant to lesbians and gay men. In 1971 SMG opened a telephone advice line, and in 1973 lobbied for the cessation of "private" gay sex prosecutions. In 1974 SMG hosted the first Gay Congress (later known as the International Lesbian & Gay Association -ILGA) and the following year SMG opened Scotland's first gay information centre in Edinburgh.
In 1978 with the "Dunfermline Declaration of Rights" which was to form the nucleus for Equality 2000, the group changed its name to the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group (SHRG).
In 1982 we launched Gay Scotland magazine, which grew out of the Group's own internal newsletter, started some 10 years earlier. (It's funny how history has the knack of going full circle with Outright Scotland's plan to publish Gay Scotland yet again!) One decade later, in 1992, SHRG became Outright Scotland.
Our aims as Outright Scotland have not changed from those challenging days of the 1970s, being to campaign effectively for continuing change in Scottish society, its laws, institutions and systems so that oppression, discrimination and prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people are eradicated. We also set out to achieve our aims in an environment of care and support for those who do suffer unfair treatment on account of their sexuality or gender identity.
Towards a New Scotland
During those past years, when there were challenges, disappointments and some notable successes, many people were looking forward to the time when a Parliament in Scotland would embrace the ideals of Outright Scotland, as set out in the Equality 2000 document, the "blueprint" for a Scottish Parliament that would reflect the diversity within Scottish society.
Well, with no public funding, with a small yet committed band of activists, over the years we have come a long way. Working in the background, often unnoticed and away from the kind of media circus the repeal of Section 28 has created, many of our objectives have been reached, but many remain to be achieved.
As we meet the demands the Scottish Parliament presents, Outright Scotland has an opportunity to reflect, review and organise.
We will, with your help and support, continue to serve our community well.
The Constitution (2002) and Standing Orders (13/7/2002) for Outright Scotland have been copied from the web site: http://www.outright-scotland.org.uk/ on 7 July 2006.
The current state of Outright Scotland.
Wikipedia (March, 2006) states "Outright Scotland is currently dormant with much of their former role being taken by the Equality Network and Stonewall Scotland."
Equality Network web site (March, 2006) states " Outright Scotland (currently not an active organisation)"
SCOTSGAY MAGAZINE Issue 1 - December 1994 States under NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS:
"OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND is Scotland's premier lesbian, gay and bisexual rights organisation. It was founded in 1969 as the Scottish Minorities Group, later became the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group and changed its name to OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND in December 1992. OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND owns the Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre. Send sae for their new leaflet and membership application form to: The Secretary, OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND, 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA or e-mail outright@drink.demon.co.uk
OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND has other Focus Groups. The contacts are: LGB Disability Forum - Jim Liddle 0131-669 3205 or Jim Halcrow 0131-661 5398. Diversity (Anti racism group) - Andy Gentle 0131-557 1662. Outright Women - Alison Rowan. International - Mungo Bovey. Law Reform - Tim Hopkins or Hugo Greenhalgh. Police Liaison - Ian Dunn 0131-557 1662. If no telephone number is given, you can write to the person listed c/o 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA. Why not join OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND? Membership is UKP10 waged and UKP5 unwaged. Please make out your cheque/Postal Order to OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND and send to The Membership Secretary, OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND, 58a Broughton Street, EDINBURGH. EH1 3SA."
Scots Gay 17: August 1997
CENTRE FORWARDConditions of acceptance by National Archives of Scotland. It is likely that these were the conditions which applied at the time the Archives of Outright Scotland were lodged with the NAS. These were obtained from the NAS in June 2006. It is not known for sure that these are the conditions which apply to the Outright Scotland collection, but it is likely so.
SCOTTISH RECORD OFFICE 9/85
Preservation of Private Muniments
The Scottish Record Office may accept for preservation private Muniments
of historical interest. This service enables owners of such documents
to have them kept in safety, and makes historical material available
to research workers.
Terms of preservation
Documents may be either gifted to the Scottish
Record Office or deposited on indefinite loan. If the documents are
gifted, the ownership of them passes from the donor to the department.
If the deposit is on indefinite loan, ownership remains with the depositor
but he is asked to agree not to withdraw the collection, in whole or
in part, without showing reasonable cause. This proviso is necessary
since public money is spent on preservation, inventorying and repair.
The depositor may, however, withdraw items of particular family interest
or those of a private nature when he receives a hand—list or
inventory of the documents.
Conditions of Preservation
The Department keeps each collection as
a unit and preserves it in the same conditions of security as the national
records. Documents requiring binding or repair may be treated by expert
craftsmen at no cost to the donor or depositor, as resources permit.
The Department arranges and classifies each collection as necessary
and a detailed inventory is compiled, but as this process may take
some years to complete, an interim hand—list is compiled as soon
as possible after accession in order to facilitate consultation. Copies
of the hand-list and inventory are supplied to the donor or depositor.
Any documents that are considered, on examination, to be of no historical
interest, are either returned to the owner or destroyed after his written
consent has been obtained.
Conditions of access
Documents are produced for study only in the
Search Rooms of the Department where readers are under constant supervision.
Access is permitted to bona fide historical research students, each
of whom must complete a search applicatiOn giving his address and subject
of study, but no access for legal purposes is allowed unless the enquirer
has the written consent of the owner. Access is not normally permitted
to collections for which no inventory or hand—list exists, but
documents and catalogue collections are made fully available for historical
research although special conditions may be imposed if the owner wishes,
eg, that any proposed publication, based on modern papers, where the
person mentioned may still be alive, should be submitted to the owner
for approval. Any requests for large—scale publication or copying
of collections deposited on loan will be referred to the owner for
his consent; but small orders for photocopies of items for private
study by searchers will normally be supplied at the SRO’s normal
rates, unless alternative arrangements with the owner are made.