During Birmingham’s Pride parade, the Chief Constable of West Midlands was confronted by LGBTQ+ activist Peter Tatchell.
During the 25 September event, police marched with the LGBTQ+ community as they celebrated Pride.
Tatchell, an LGBTQ+ rights activist and director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, used the opportunity to confront Chief Constable Sir David Thompson.
“Thank you for marching with us,” Tatchell told Sir David. “You are welcome. But [it] is time that you apologised for the past persecution of LGBT+ people by West Midlands police.
“Your force was one of the most homophobic in Britain. While you are not responsible for past wrongs, you are head of the force that witch-hunted us.
“I hope you will draw a line under that persecution by making an apology, so we can move forward together.”
Sir David responded by telling Tatchell to “get in touch” so the issue can be looked at more thoroughly.
“If you get in touch with my office, I will look at the issue,” he said.
On 27 September, Tatchell issued a statement over what happened at Birmingham Pride.
“An apology would not right the wrongs done to these men but it would at least acknowledge that the law was wrong, not the men who were arrested, punished, stigmatised and vilified,” he explained.
At @BirminghamPride on Saturday I confronted #WestMidlands police chief. I welcomed him on the parade but urged him to apologise for the thousands of gay men his force arrested 1945-2003. It was some of worst homophobia in UK. READ: https://t.co/53KlwsE5tT @birminghamlgbt pic.twitter.com/DyoWwaaWTw
— Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell) September 28, 2021
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