LONDON, Sept 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign saw a wave Commonwealth countries remove laws criminalising gay sex, most of which were introduced when they were part of the British Empire. More than a dozen Commonwealth nations – a club of mainly former colonies – have decriminalised consensual gay sex since Britain relaxed its own laws in 1967. But bans on same-sex relations remain in many Commonwealth countries, which Queen Elizabeth headed in a ceremonial role. Here is a timeline of major events to weaken or remove bans on gay sex in Britain and its former colonies during Queen Elizabeth’s rule from 1952 to 2022: