Scottish Minorities Group

The Scottish Minorities Group (SMG) was a Scottish gay rights group officially founded in Glasgow on 9 May 1969. The group was a self-help organisation working for the rights of homosexual men and women, and had the aims of providing counselling, working for law reform and providing meeting places for lesbians and gay men.

The group's first meeting in January 1969 was organised by Ian Campbell Dunn at his parents' home in Glasgow.

On 9 May 1969, the group was officially launched at an open meeting in the Protestant Chaplaincy Centre of Glasgow University that was attended by about 25 men and women.

SMG meetings moved to the basement of the Catholic Chaplaincy in Edinburgh in August 1969.

A monthly newsletter, "SMG News", was started In January 1971.

In the same year the group organised the Cobweb disco, which was Scotland's first gay disco, and the SMG Glasgow Women's Group was launched along with its magazine "Gayzette".

In 1972, SMG started the Edinburgh Gay Switchboard.

The Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) was formed as a special interest group in 1974.

SMG organised the International Gay Rights Congress held in Edinburgh from 18-22 December 1974. Around 400 people attended the event and it led to the setting up of the International Gay Association in 1978.

At the end of 1974 premises at Broughton Street, Edinburgh were purchased and the SMG Information Centre opened there in the Spring of 1975.

In 1977, the Glasgow Gay Centre was opened in Sauchiehall Street.

In 1978, "SMG News" became "Gay Scotland" and in October the SMG changed its name to the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group (SHRG).

In 1980, Robin Cook's amendment to the 1980 Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill partially decriminalised gay sex between men over 21. This allowed a commercial scene to develop and Bennets Nightclub opened in Glasgow in 1981. There was subsequently less demand for community facilities.

At its peak in 1982, SHRG had 1200 members. However, the Glasgow Gay Centre closed in 1982.

In 1992, SHRG changed its name to Outright Scotland.