Blue Jean: What is Section 28, the homophobic amendment mentioned in this British drama?

What is it about? 1988, Margaret Thatcher’s England. Jean, a physical education teacher, is forced to hide his homosexuality, especially after he passes a law that stigmatizes the gay community. That’s without considering the new student who threatens to reveal the secret…

Division 28

Blue Jean was created in 1988 by Section 28, a controversial amendment that prohibited “promotion of homosexuality” In the United Kingdom, until the early 2000s, Margaret Thatcher’s United Kingdom banned the discussion of homosexuality in schools. The protests were fierce: 25,000 people marched in Manchester on 20 February 1988, live lesbian activists stormed the BBC studios on 23 May, mobilizing artists such as Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, the Pet Shop Boys and Boy George. Section 28 was repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of the United Kingdom.

statement of intent

With Blue Jean, director Georgia Oakley wanted to take a personal look at internalized homophobia and relive the memories of these teachers who fought back against the stigma and slander that occurred according to Episode 28: “I’m tired of hearing that we’ve come a long way on gay rights when such homophobic laws exist around the world. The legacy of Section 28 lives on and this is just one example of the institutionalized homophobia the LGBTQ+ community must endure. Every day.”

He didn’t want to make a political drama so much as paint a portrait of a woman who doubts her identity: “As a screenwriter, I wanted to highlight the little things that keep Jean up at night, in order to more broadly condemn the homophobia, patriarchy and class struggle that raged in the 1980s, just as it does today.

Genesis

While browsing the web for interesting stories in 2018, Georgia Oakley came across an article about women who outshone the House of Lords during the Section 28 debate. “It was quite an exciting picture, their leap over the balcony – that fascinated me. But what fascinated me even more was the fact that I had no idea what Section 28 was. J “So I did some research. I had no idea there was a law at all.” He admits.

Later, in a meeting at the BBC, he presented this film dedicated to the teacher during the 28th section. Encouraged by executive producer Eva Yates, she developed it and a few weeks later submitted it to iFeatures, a UK grant fund that is partially supported. BBC and BFI.

Finding John

Rosie McEwen, who plays Jean, was discovered during an audition organized by casting director Shaheen Baig. The director immediately knew when he saw her demo that she was the perfect actor for the role: “He had this amazing calmness and ability to convey everything I wrote – everything that was happening inside the character. He could stay very still and give a lot without showing it.” .