Shortly after being elected as an MP in 1987, Wilshire saw a copy of the book "Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin", about two gay men and their daughter, a copy of which was stocked in an Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) teachers' resource centre. Wilshire said of it: "the book portrays a child living with two men ... clearly shows that as an acceptable family relationship". As a result, with the support of Dame Jill Knight, Wilshire introduced Section 28 as an amendment to the Local Government Bill at the committee stage. The amendment made it illegal for local authorities to "promote homosexuality or ... promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality".