Discusses, from the perspective of the LGBTQ community, the evolution of the UK's age of consent laws, and how they have been used to communicate social norms. Reflects on the situation prior to the equalisation of the age of consent for gay and heterosexual persons in 2000, how the age of consent for girls was managed in the 19th century, and the current position regarding medical interventions such as puberty blockers given to transsexual teenagers.