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The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
It's time every police force atoned for its homophobic witch-hunts
At the height of the Aids crisis in the 1980s, when hundreds of gay men were suffering slow, agonising deaths, the then-Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), James Anderton, denounced gay people as "swirling in a human cesspit of their own making'. His words were not mere rhetoric. Homophobia informed operational policing. GMP officers were directed to illegally harass gay venues, including the notorious raid by 23 police on Napoleon's bar in 1984. The membership list, including names and addresses, was illegally seized, and patrons were lined up against the wall and unlawfully photographed. Some had their feet deliberately stamped on. Regular police raids on the New Union pub, Rembrandt Hotel and the Clone Zone shop were acts of vindictive police harassment. Manchester police openly boasted: 'We've been trying to close these queer places for years.' However, in response to my Peter Tatchell Foundation's #ApologiseNow campaign, 21 out of the 45 Chief Constables in the UK – including the Metropolitan Police, Merseyside and Police Scotland – did just that, with many also implementing new LGBT+ supportive policies. They recognised the injustice done. In contrast, the GMP's Chief Constable, Stephen Watson, refused to apologise – as did his counterpart at West Midlands Police (WMP), Craig Guildford. They suggested that either there was no evidence of anything that justified an apology or that any claimed wrongdoing happened too long ago to matter. Their refusal is even more shocking given that GMP and WMP were historically two of the most viciously homophobic forces in the country, with gay arrest rates much higher than average. WMP compounded their insult by their double standards. They rightly apologised in 2020 to the black community for their long history of police racism, but they refuse to do the same to the LGBT+ community. On top of that, WMP had me forcibly removed from the recent Birmingham Pride parade after I criticised their refusal to apologise. They falsely claimed I did not have permission to be there and that the organisers asked for me to be removed. The latter has confirmed that both these claims were fabrications. The GMP and WMP Chief Constables have snubbed their own National Police Chiefs Council lead on LGBT+ issues. Northumbria Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine wrote to all Chief Constables over a year ago, urging them to review our request for an apology for historic anti-LGBT+ persecution. She had a good reason. In the decades before the full decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales in 2003, police across the UK went out of their way to target and arrest thousands of gay and bisexual men for consenting, victimless behaviour. They went far beyond merely enforcing anti-gay laws and did so in a manner that was often illegal and sometimes violent. Couples were arrested for kissing, which was not a crime. Officers burst into private birthday parties whose partygoers were shoved and called ' f***ing queers' and 'dirty poofs'. At closing time for bars and clubs, police would harass men chatting on the pavement outside. Those who hesitated to disperse or questioned the lawfulness of police harassment were threatened and sometimes arrested and beaten up. It's little wonder that the police were reviled by many as 'queer-bashers in uniform'. In a raid on a bar in 1971, I was made to strip to my underpants in the street on a freezing cold October night. An officer squeezed my testicles until I screamed. I remember being stopped at a train station and quizzed and sneered at because I was wearing a gay badge. This was typical of the everyday petty police harassment that we endured. Police waged witch-hunts motivated by personal, and sometimes religious, prejudice against gay and bisexual men. They selected young, good-looking officers and got them to dress in a gay style, with tight-fitting jeans and leather jackets. These so-called 'pretty police' were deployed as agent provocateurs in parks and public toilets to entrap men into committing offences before a hidden squad swooped in and made arrests. Some forces had a policy of releasing the names, addresses and workplaces of arrested men to the newspapers – sackings and evictions often followed. With the stigma of a criminal conviction for a homosexual offence, many victims outed by the police had great difficulty in getting new jobs and housing. Some were beaten up, their homes and cars vandalised by homophobic mobs. Others turned to drink or endured mental breakdowns and suicide attempts. It is not an overstatement to say that lives were wrecked by the police. Twenty-four of the UK's Chief Constables have turned down my request for an apology. As well as disputing the existence of this persecution, some have claimed that these abuses happened a long time ago and that an apology would be a pointless gesture. The victims think otherwise. A formal apology would demonstrate moral leadership, humility and humanity. It would send a powerful message to those who endured oppression at the hands of the police, showing that their suffering has been heard, and that the police of today reject the abuses of the past. Apologies are not symbolic gestures. They are acts of justice. They affirm change and that the police now stand alongside the communities they once harmed. For many LGBT+ people, hearing their Chief Constable acknowledge historic mistreatment would be profoundly healing. The apologies issued so far by 21 forces have not undermined current officers but have strengthened community trust. They have helped to rebuild bridges with marginalised people, showing that policing today is informed by compassion, accountability and truth. This has boosted confidence in the police and encouraged more LGBT+ people to report hate crimes, domestic violence and sexual assaults. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, head of the Met Police, had no hesitation in saying sorry. He acknowledged that the Met had harboured 'systems and processes…which have led to bias and discrimination…over many decades' and apologised unreservedly to those 'we have let down.' Rowley showed true leadership and won huge respect among LGBT+ people.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Human rights laws allowing 'feckless fathers' to avoid being deported, top police chief claims
Human rights laws are allowing offenders who have 'fecklessly' fathered children in Britain to avoid deportation, a top police chief said yesterday. Stephen Watson's comments come as both Labour and the Conservatives are finalising tough proposals on immigration, with ministers hoping to curtail the use of the European Convention on Human Rights by foreign criminals. A new Bill will contain measures designed to restrict the use of the 'right to private and family life' under Article 8 of the ECHR. Asked about its impact on policing in Britain, Sir Stephen said it wasn't for him to point out what the legislative framework should look like but said Article 8 was often used by offenders to overturn deportation decisions. 'It seems to me that is entirely unhelpful, particularly when people are simply claiming on the basis of having very often fecklessly fathered a number of children in our country, that they somehow shouldn't be deported because they've got the right to a family life,' he told the Policy Exchange think tank at a talk in London. 'Well, I – and I suspect most of the public – beg to differ.' Labour's crackdown will work in tandem with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's plan for overseas 'return hubs' for foreign nationals with no right to be in the UK. Talks with Balkan nations including Kosovo and Moldova to establish hubs are ongoing. Sir Stephen took over Greater Manchester Police in 2021 when the force was in special measures, but it has now been recognised as the country's most improved force in three consecutive years under his leadership. In the wide-ranging talk, the chief constable also called for non-crime hate incidents to be scrapped. Sir Stephen said the policy, where data is collected for incidents when no crime has been committed, was 'past its sell-by-date'. 'This is the antithesis of doing the basics,' he said. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been rebuffed by Europe after calling for a shake-up of human rights laws. Speaking in Strasbourg yesterday she said the European Convention on Human Rights 'feels out of step with common sense' and needed to 'evolve'. But, Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset said he opposed changes: 'I am not calling for reform of the ECHR, nor do I support any effort that would weaken it,' he told the Politico website. 'It should never be used as a scapegoat in domestic political debates.' Ms Mahmood said the public's confidence in the rule of law was now 'fraying'.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Police chief says homophobia apology could ‘unfairly impugn' past officers
Greater Manchester Police 's Chief Constable, Stephen Watson, has declined to apologise to the LGBT+ community for historical homophobia within the force, a move criticised by campaigners as an "insult". Human rights charity the Peter Tatchell Foundation requested all forces apologise for decades of LGBT+ victimisation. Twenty-one other forces have issued formal apologies. Mr Watson stated that a sweeping apology could be seen as "superficial" and "unfairly impugn" past officers, while acknowledging GMP did not always meet expected standards. Peter Tatchell highlighted the force's troubling history under then-Chief Constable James Anderton in the 1980s, during the Aids crisis, when officers targeted gay venues. Mr Tatchell argues that an apology is an act of justice and healing which could foster trust and encourage LGBT+ people to report crimes.
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.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'No regrets' - Keane, Saipan and the story of a lifetime
With just two words and three syllables, Stephen Watson knew he had the scoop of his career. In Saipan airport on the eve of the 2002 Fifa World Cup, the BBC Sport NI presenter had not found Roy Keane in a particularly talkative mood but, such was the furore unfolding around the Republic of Ireland captain, any word from the mouth of the Manchester United midfielder would be the stuff of global headlines. The Cork native's forthright views on his side's preparations for the tournament in Japan and South Korea had sparked a week-long saga and provided the biggest story in the build-up to world's largest sporting event. One minute he was headed home, the next he was staying, but with just one utterance into Watson's microphone as Keane waited for his unexpectedly early return flight it became clear that the chances of a thawing of the frosty relationship with manager Mick McCarthy were remote. How did Keane feel about the sequence of events that had led to him being sent home from what should have been the biggest tournament of his life? "No regrets," he told Watson. "The biggest story of my career," recalls the presenter in the first episode of Hold the Front Page, which airs on BBC One NI at 22.40 BST on Monday. Watch: Stephen Watson interviews Roy Keane in Saipan What triggered the Roy Keane row in Saipan? As the programme - which delves into how journalists broke their most memorable stories - shows, the troubled relationship between Keane and his international boss dated back to when they were international team-mates. When the side arrived in Saipan for their tournament preparations without sufficient kits or footballs, Watson remembers wondering whether Keane's complaints were going to become "something that actually sticks and becomes a major problem or just a storm in a teacup". It soon became clear it would be the former with the fallout becoming one of the most infamous episodes in Irish sporting history, one that more than two decades later will be the subject of an upcoming film starring two-time Oscar nominee Steve Coogan. First Keane was to leave of his own accord, then he was to stay but retire from international football after the tournament. Finally, when word broke of how he had criticised his manager and the Football Association of Ireland in media interviews, he was on his way home eight days before his side's tournament opener. Watson says he was "still finding his feet" in his new job after joining BBC NI but soon found himself thrust into a huge sporting story, one which the time difference ensured would play out across a virtual 24-hour news cycle. "I didn't know as many of the Republic of Ireland players as I did the Northern Ireland players, so it was more a chance for me to try and get to know them," he recalls of the initial assignment. "Relationships in my job are the most important thing. Building relationships with sporting stars is absolutely key, but as it turned out, having those relationships didn't actually matter when the Roy Keane story broke." Watson admits he "took a gamble" to trust his instincts to stay behind when the Republic of Ireland team, and as a result the majority of the press pack, departed for Japan. "My feeling was if Roy Keane's staying here, I'm staying here. "There was the slightest opportunity that we could get some pictures of him, if we could get an interview with him even better. "It was a long shot." When Keane slipped out the back of what had been the team hotel to head for the airport and start his journey home, Watson and a few remaining photographers thought they had missed their chance but followed in a waiting van. "There was a heightened tension within that van because we thought we'd missed him. Suddenly, very close to the airport, we saw [Keane] in a white van and we were euphoric," Watson remembers. "Roy knew that he'd been rumbled and he jumped out of the van and then all hell broke loose I suppose. The flashbulbs went off left, right and centre. "I said to the cameraman we need to go and ask some questions and I fired off four, five, six questions and [Keane] never changed his gaze, he never even looked at me." As Keane waited in line for security, Watson tried again with the player's brief answers that followed the "gold dust" he had chased. "It was a short interview but anything said by Roy Keane was going to be powerful," he adds. Indeed it was with the quotes soon travelling far and wide. The Keane saga cast a shadow of Republic of Ireland's tournament. Reportedly written on the wall of the team's dressing room as they reached the last 16 of the tournament...'no regrets'. Watch 'Hold the Front Page: Roy Keane in Saipan' on Monday, 19 May at 22.40 BST on BBC One NI and BBC iPlayer.
