Latest news with #PeterTatchell
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sorry seems to be the hardest word
Back in 2013 the Manchester Evening News published confidential Home Office files revealing the meltdown that followed GMP's former police chief Sir James Anderton's comments about the HIV/AIDS crisis. Government ministers and civil servants scrambled to prevent the collapse of Britain's second biggest police force and keep Sir James in post. The trouble originated from remarks in 1986 when Anderton had claimed that the victims of AIDS were in a 'human cesspool of their own making'. READ MORE: 'Our bins are full, they stink and we've got maggots - we need more collections' READ MORE: Regulator orders bosses at Greater Manchester hospital's obstetrics and gynaecology department to make improvements Last week activist Peter Tatchell once again slammed GMP for their failure to issue a proper apology for the historical action of Manchester's police force against the LGBTQ+ community, spanning decades, which included police raids on gay-led venues as well as Anderton's comments. We also had something to say about it. Welcome to Unmissable, our weekly digest of the stories we think you might have missed. Peter Tatchell is a sometimes controversial figure, but what he was asking for in his press release was a proper apology, and our LGBTQ writer Adam Maidment thinks he has a point. In a wide ranging comment piece he takes on the issue saying - 'As individuals, we are taught from an early age to say sorry when we have done or said something wrong or done something unacceptable.' 'We are taught that there is great benefit in acknowledging and accepting a mistake. It allows us to move on, it allows us to rebuild relationships.' It's a complex issue about how much those working at GMP now should have to say about the past mistakes. Adam's is a thoughtful measured piece well worth your time In another feisty comment piece, Jo Timan our politics writer addressed the growing row between Sadiq Khan and presumably anyone outside of the North Circular about funding. We also published further revelations about the activities of convicted sex offender Todros Grynhaus, told the twisty tale of 'Rochdale's Chernobyl' and looked into the controversial issue of surge pricing in Greater Manchester's bars. GMP's chief constable said an apology over the force's historical 'gay witch-hunts' would make 'little or no difference', but Adam Maidment disagrees. Read it HERE. Of course, the mayor will always make the case for the city he represents - as he should. But his 'us-versus-them' rhetoric is unhelpful says Jo Timan. Read it HERE. Last week the Manchester Evening News revealed that a paedophile was living just 24 steps from a playground. Now it has emerged that a house his company owns next door is being rented out on sites such as Airbnb and - and the listings are aimed at families. Read it HERE. The factory has been vacant for years, but locals are worried it could become a health and safety risk. George Lythgoe investigates what the future holds for the old Turner Brothers Asbestos factory. Read it HERE. The bar insists it is 'common with the entire industry' - but Sacha Lord feels it 'doesn't sit right'. Read it HERE.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Greater Manchester Police chief refuses to apologise for past homophobia in ‘insult' to LGBT+ community
The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has refused to apologise to the LGBT+ community for historic homophobia in the force. Campaigners said it was an 'insult' after 21 other forces have issued formal apologies over their past conduct, adding that GMP was 'involved in some of the most extreme unlawful victimisation of LGBTs by any UK force'. Human rights charity the Peter Tatchell Foundation first issued calls to all forces to say sorry for 'decades-long victimisation' of the LGBT+ community in June 2023. However, in a recent letter, seen by The Independent, its chief constable, Stephen Watson, declined to 'accede to your request for a general apology', adding it could be seen as 'superficial and merely performative' and could 'unfairly impugn' the service of past officers. The director of the foundation, Peter Tatchell, who was this week named in The Independent 's Pride List 2025 for his gay rights activism, said: 'This refusal to apologise is an insult to the LGBT+ community, who suffered so much at the hands of the Manchester police in decades past.' Mr Tatchell has this week again written to CC Watson, appealing once again for him to apologise – noting the troubling history of the force under the late Chief Constable Sir James Anderton in the 1980s. At the height of the Aids crisis, Mr Anderton said gay men were "swirling about in a human cesspit of their own making", resulting in calls for his resignation. 'Greater Manchester Police has a particularly troubling homophobic history that deserves specific acknowledgement and apology,' Mr Tatchell said. 'Under Chief Constable James Anderton in the 1980s, the force became synonymous with open hostility towards the LGBT+ community.' He claimed Mr Anderton's comments were not 'isolated rhetoric' and the force targeted gay venues in raids in the 1980s, which in some cases led to gay and bisexual men being outed and subjected to homophobic insults, threats and violence. Mr Tatchell added: 'To now refuse to apologise adds insult to injury. Apologies are not symbolic—they are acts of justice and healing. They show leadership and humanity. They tell survivors of police witch-hunts: 'We see you, we acknowledge the harm we caused, and we are sorry.' 'Twenty-one other forces have recognised that acknowledging past wrongs helps rebuild LGBT+ trust. It will encourage more LGBTs to report hate crime, sexual assaults and domestic violence, which is what we all want. 'Not saying sorry undermines LGBT+ confidence in the police and will damage the police's reputation among LGBTs. 'We are not suggesting all past officers were bad or blaming today's officers. An apology is about taking responsibility for homophobic police behaviour in previous decades and saying sorry.' Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was the first to apologise in 2023, in a move which was welcomed by Mr Tatchell for drawing 'a line under past Met persecution'. A string of others subsequently followed suit, including Merseyside Police's former chief constable Serena Kennedy, who issued their "sincere apology and deepest regret" for "historical prejudice". Others include Dorset and North Yorkshire Police. In his refusal letter, dated April 2025, CC Watson, who was appointed in 2021, said GMP is proud to serve its many diverse communities and strives to understand their past experiences with the force. He said the force has made 'considerable' progress over the past 40 years and takes a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination. He wrote: 'I am, of course, sorry that GMP, and those police bodies which preceded the presently formed GMP prior to 1974, didn't always perform to the standards deserved by those whom we serve. 'It is also the case, however, that over these many decades, literally thousands of police officers have performed their duties with decency, professionalism and compassion. 'Whilst I acknowledge that you are not seeking an apology for officer's having upheld the laws of the day, it would nevertheless be quite unjust for me as the current chief constable to cast some sort of sweeping assertion as to the general conduct of the force over a prolonged period of time, particularly when the period in question is now so dated that virtually no serving officer in the entire force can speak to the period with any personal knowledge. 'Such an apology could well be seen, even by the intended recipients, as both superficial and merely performative. 'It would unfairly impugn the faithful and valued services of past officers; and any such apology would likely make little or no difference to developing contemporary practice which is, as you acknowledge, currently very good and which carries the confidence both of our current LGBTQ+ community and our own staff association. 'With regret, therefore, I find that I cannot accede to your request for a general apology.'
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Greater Manchester Police refuses to apologise to LGBTQ+ community
Greater Manchester Police's chief constable has refused to apologise for what human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has described as "anti-LGBTQ+ persecution" in the force's past. Police chiefs across the country, including Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, have apologised to the LGBTQ+ community following a campaign launched by the Peter Tatchell Foundation in 2023. As part of the campaign, Mr Tatchell wrote to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) boss Stephen Watson, who declined to issue a general apology. In a letter sent to Mr Tatchell in late April and seen by the BBC, Mr Watson said such an apology could be seen as "superficial and merely performative". He said it would also "unfairly impugn the faithful and valued services of past officers" and likely "make little or no difference to developing contemporary practice". "I am of course sorry that GMP, and those police bodies which preceded the presently formed GMP prior to 1974, didn't always perform to the standards deserved by those who we served," Mr Watson said. "It is also the case however that over these many decades, literally thousands of police officers have performed their duties with decency, professionalism and compassion."In response, Mr Tatchell said the the refusal to apologise was "an insult" given GMP's "particularly troubling history", particularly while the force was led by the late Sir James Anderton between 1975 and 1991. In the mid-1980s, at the height of the Aids crisis, Mr Anderton said gay men were "swirling about in a human cesspit of their own making", resulting in calls for his resignation. Mr Tatchell said: "We never disputed that many officers served well. Our request was solely an apology for those who acted in abusive and illegal ways."He said 21 chief constables had apologised to their LGBTQ+ communities to date. "For many LGBT+ people, hearing their Chief Constable acknowledge historic mistreatment would be profoundly healing," Mr Tatchell said. "Apologies are not symbolic gestures. They are acts of justice." In his letter, Mr Watson said that while he would not issue a general apology, he would be "more than willing" to apologise to any individual who experienced "the sort of wrongdoing" Mr Tatchell described, if evidence were to be provided. But Mr Tatchell said there were a number of "obvious and well-known" incidents where LGBTQ+ people were victimised by GMP, including raids on local gay venues during which patrons were subjected to "vindictive, malicious police harassment". "GMP was at the forefront of police homophobia in the UK," he said. Greater Manchester Police declined to comment further. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Peter Tatchell on LGBT+ rights being under fresh threat: ‘I might retire from protest when I'm 95'
Few figures are as synonymous with LGBT+ rights as is Peter Tatchell. He was integral to the organisation of Britain's first Pride march, in 1972. 'I've been to every London Pride march since then,' says the 73-year-old. 'This year will be my 54th.' In his six decades of activism and protest, which began as an 'instinctive reaction against injustice' when he was a young teenager, he's been arrested 103 times (at time of writing) and received too many hate letters and threatening phone calls to count. He's been subjected to more than 300 violent assaults and 50 attacks on his flat. Horrifyingly, these vicious acts have included bottles and bricks being thrown through his windows, arson, and even a bullet through his front door. He's previously been under armed police protection, and was even listed as a target for assassination in a foiled plot in the Nineties. He describes these experiences as akin to 'living through a low-level civil war'. Of course, enduring such atrocities has taken its toll. 'It's been terrifying, and for years I've suffered from PTSD,' says Tatchell. Yet he's determined never to give up, and doesn't want to 'let the bigots win'. 'Protest is the lifeblood of democracy,' he says, 'and without it we end up like Putin's Russia.' Tatchell maintains that, as long as he has good health, he'll continue to protest – and 'might consider retiring around the age of 95' – but acknowledges that such freedom of expression is under threat. 'Police are increasingly cracking down on the right to peaceful protest,' he tells me. One of his main campaigns at the Peter Tatchell Foundation, formed in 2011, is #ApologiseNow. It seeks acknowledgement of the indignities previously suffered by the LGBT+ community at the hands of some police officers, including harassment, entrapment, beatings, raids on gay venues, and the public outing of LGBT+ people. He thinks a formal apology would help to rebuild trust. As part of this campaign, Tatchell is appealing to Pride organisers across the country to ban the participation of the police in their marches if they've refused to apologise. Greater Manchester Police plan to march in Manchester's event this year, but have 'point blank refused to apologise', says Tatchell, though he adds that police are welcome to march as individuals in civilian clothes. For Tatchell, it is evident that there are still problems between the police and the LGBT+ community. It's something he still experiences: in May this year, he was forcibly removed from the Birmingham Pride march after West Midlands Police claimed he didn't have permission to march and that organisers had requested his removal. Tatchell says the police stance is 'a complete lie', and the event's organiser later condemned the episode. Tatchell claims that some of 'the most vicious homophobic officers in the country' worked for West Midlands Police in the 1970s and 80s, and that they 'wrecked LGBT+ people's lives'. He thinks his recent treatment only 'reinforces how homophobic they are'. So far, the #ApologiseNow campaign has won apologies from 21 of the UK's 45 forces, including the Metropolitan Police, Merseyside, and Police Scotland. As a direct impact of the Peter Tatchell Foundation's work, there have been systemic changes within some forces, such as the introduction of homophobic hate crime hotlines and the appointment of LGBT+ liaison officers. Other campaigns orchestrated by the foundation include helping more than 200 LGBT+ refugees by supporting them in making asylum claims and putting them in touch with solicitors who can represent them, all without charge. Much has changed since Tatchell began campaigning, including the full decriminalisation of homosexuality and an end to the use of electroconvulsive therapy as a 'cure' for being gay. But now, he says, attitudes are beginning to roll back. 'Until a decade ago, public opinion was shifting towards ever greater acceptance, but now it's gone into reverse,' says Tatchell. 'There's a new demonisation of trans people that echoes that of LGBs in the 1970s and 80s. It's all based on scaremongering and blanket generalisations.' Tatchell attributes this to a 'combination of Conservative government, the rise of Ukip and Brexit, plus Twitter has helped amplify and quasi-legitimised homophobia, biphobia and transphobia'. He doesn't see things improving any time soon, adding: 'I fear anti-LGBT+ sentiment will get worse.' This change in attitudes is being felt on a far wider scale than just within Britain. In March, Hungary passed a draconian law that effectively bans Pride and similar events by outlawing any public assembly that might be considered to involve the promotion of homosexuality. It's a move that critics say is a breach of EU law, and opposes the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, equality, and respect for human rights enshrined in the EU treaties. In response, Tatchell is organising a Solidarity Pride protest that will be held outside the Hungarian embassy in London on 21 June. 'The aim is to stand with the beleaguered LGBT+ people of Hungary, and to show them people in other countries know and care about their victimisation,' he says. He's calling for pressure to be put on the EU to sanction the regime of Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban in order to prevent the emboldening of other right-wing member states to act similarly. He says some EU countries have been vocal in opposing the Budapest ban, but notes: 'We haven't seen any action yet... We need more than words, we need sanctions.'
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell ‘arrested for anti-Hamas sign'
The veteran human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was arrested for carrying an anti-Hamas slogan during a pro-Palestine protest. The 73-year-old said the incident was 'yet another' example of the police 'abusing their powers to suppress freedom of expression'. Mr Tatchell, best known for his pioneering role in the gay rights movement, said he was detained at a march in London on May 17 while holding a sign that read: 'Stop Hamas executions.' He claimed that officers pulled him out of the march and told him the sign represented a 'racially and religiously aggravated breach of the peace'. The Australian-born activist has been supporting the Palestinian cause for the past five decades. He said he attended the march as he wanted to support calls for a ceasefire while also calling out Hamas's execution of protesters and critics in Gaza. On the placard, Mr Tatchell highlighted the case of Odai Al-Rubai, a 22-year-old Gazan man who was beaten with metal bars before his body was dragged through the streets and dumped outside his family home. Mr Tatchell told The Telegraph that before his arrest a 'handful' of pro-Palestine protesters had confronted him over the sign in an 'aggressive, threatening and intimidating' manner. He said: 'Some people told me to f--- off, others called me Zionist scum, all while the police stood by and did nothing.' Mr Tatchell said he was later confronted by Metropolitan Police officers after Palestine Solidarity Campaign stewards complained that he was chanting: 'Hamas are terrorists.' Mr Tatchell told the officers he was not chanting or using that phrase and pointed out that his sign read: 'Stop Israel Genocide! Stop Hamas Executions!' He said he was then accused of being part of a counter-protest despite making it clear to the officers he was in solidarity with the pro-Palestine marchers. Mr Tatchell said he was pulled out of the march and arrested on suspicion of a racially and religiously aggravated breach of the peace under the Public Order Act. Police 'abusing' their powers He was arrested and had his fingerprints, DNA sample and photograph taken, before being released after five and a half hours. Mr Tatchell said: 'This is another example of the way the police are abusing their powers to suppress freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest.' He added: 'The arresting officers must face disciplinary action. My arrest was a massive waste of police resources and taxpayers' money on trumped-up charges. 'Police allege that my placard was a 'racially and religiously aggravated breach of the peace' and that I had violated a Section 14 order. That is nonsense. My placard made no mention of anyone's race or religion.' A Met Police spokesman said that Mr Tatchell had been arrested in 'error' and had been released without charge. The force said that officers had acted in 'good faith based on the information they had at the time' but it would review the handling of the incident. The spokesman added: 'Mr Tatchell was initially detained after concerns were raised with officers by stewards from the Palestine Coalition protest. 'Officers spoke with him and, believing him to be a counter protester, directed him to join the counter protest in its designated area. When he attempted to rejoin the Palestine Coalition protest he was arrested on suspicion of breaching the conditions in place and to prevent a breach of the peace. 'While officers were acting in good faith based on the information they had received at the time, we now understand that Mr Tatchell was legitimately participating in the Palestine Coalition protest and was not in breach of any conditions. 'He was released from custody at the earliest opportunity once officers realised that an error had been made. He will face no further action. 'We will review our handling of the incident to fully understand what took place.' A spokesperson for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said: 'PSC did not make any complaint to the police about Peter Tatchell and we are not aware of any of the stewards making a complaint to any police officer.'
