Human rights campaigner urges force to apologise for ‘past homophobia’

In a letter to Chief Constable Jason Hogg, Mr Tatchell said while current supportive policies towards the LGBT+ community was “excellent progress”, for many decades previously, “attitudes and practices were very different”.

“In the past, your force, and many other forces, devoted massive and disproportionate resources to hunt down LGBT+ people for consenting behaviour that harmed no one. This zealousness went way beyond mere law enforcement,” said Mr Tatchell, director of the human rights organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

“While you are not responsible for past wrongs, you are head of the force that witch-hunted us and wrecked LGBT+ lives.

“I would respectfully request that you put the past behind us by apologising to the LGBT+ community so that we can move forward together.”

“I hope you recognise the merit and importance of an apology to the LGBT+ community. It would help further improve LGBT+ trust and confidence in the police, which we all want.”

The Peter Tatchell Foundation is spearheading the #ApologiseNow campaign, which was backed by the late television presenter Paul O’Grady, urging all chief constable to say sorry for past anti-LGBT+ “witch-hunts”.

”We do not expect an apology from the police for enforcing historic homophobic laws. What we are requesting is an apology for the often abusive and threatening way those laws were enforced – ways that would be deemed illegal and unacceptable today,” said Mr Tatchell.

“Sir Mark Rowley has already said sorry on behalf of the Metropolitan Police and backed it up with a new LGBT+ plan for London and the appointment of LGBT+ community liaison officers in every London borough.

“Similar apologies have also been made by the chief constables of Sussex Police and South Yorkshire Police.”

In a letter to Mr Tatchell, South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney said “sorry” and made an “official apology” to the LGBT+ community for her force’s past historic homophobic persecution.

She wrote: “I have reflected on the past and I understand the policing approach in the 1980s, early 1990s and perhaps more recently has caused many of you untold harm. For some, this may have influenced your view of policing, of society as a whole and even of how you fit into society. For this, I am deeply sorry.

“Whilst we cannot change history, it’s imperative we acknowledge it, however uncomfortable that may be and we as a police service seek to rebuild the trust you may have once had the opportunity to place in us. I want you to know I am committed to earning your trust and confidence back in policing and feel this starts with acknowledging our failings of the past.”

Responding to the appeal for an apology by the Peter Tatchell Foundation and following discussions with Mr Tatchell, Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner expressed her “sincere regret for historical prejudice and ill-treatment directed towards LGBTQ+ people in Sussex”.

In a letter to Mr Tatchell, she wrote: “As chief constable, I believe it is crucial to address past injustices and acknowledge the harm caused to individuals and minority groups by discriminatory systems, processes and unacceptable behaviours in policing.

“It is clear that the approach taken in Sussex to enforcing the laws of the day demonstrated bias that impacted uniquely and immeasurably members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“It is my hope that this apology will mark a significant step towards a more inclusive and compassionate future, where the rights and dignity of every individual are recognised, respected and protected…”

Mr Tatchell  said: “Their stance is backed by the chief constable of Northumbria Police, Vanessa Jardine, in her capacity as the lead on LGBT+ policy among chief constables across the UK. She has written to all chief constables supporting calls for them to say sorry.

“The appeal for chief constables to apologise is also endorsed by the National Police LGBT+ Network of serving LGBT+ officers.”

Mr Tatchell said other chief constables are also “actively considering making an apology” and are liaising to this end with their officers and local LGBT+ communities.

In his letter to Mr Hogg, Mr Tatchell said in the decades before the full decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2003 in England and Wales, “your officers went out of their way to target and arrest gay and bisexual men for consenting, victimless behaviour. They were often excessive, harsh, vindictive and cruel”.

“There was a de facto policy of sometimes releasing the names, addresses and workplaces of arrested men to the media, which led to public humiliation, ostracism, evictions, sackings and even violent attacks,” Mr Tatchell said.

“In some cases, gay bars, clubs and even private birthday parties were raided. Same-sex couples were arrested for kissing, cuddling and holding hands in the street. Heterosexual couples engaged in similar behaviour were not.

“This was malicious homophobic policing and it wrecked lives.

“Upon conviction, these men were often jailed and beaten in prison. Others were hit with huge fines. Many lost their jobs, homes and marriages. Some were bashed by homophobic mobs, driven to mental breakdowns and attempted or committed suicide.

“With the stigma of a criminal conviction for a homosexual offence, a lot of the victims of police shaming had great difficulty in getting jobs and housing. Their lives were ruined by the police targeting consensual acts that harmed nobody.

“In order to draw a line under the past extreme persecution of LGBT+ people by UK police, including your own force, I hope that you will agree that some expression of remorse is appropriate.”

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of a letter which has been sent to all forces and raises concerns from a national perspective around the police service’s history with LGBT+ communities.

“In the Thames Valley we serve a diverse population and we are committed to building the trust of all our communities, including our LBGT+ community, through greater visibility, increased transparency and meaningful engagement.

“It is important that our workforce represent our communities and we are proud to say that we have a more diverse workforce than ever before. There is a wide range of support available to all our officers and staff which includes an active LGBT+ network.

“We are aware that we have a lot of work to do to improve the trust and confidence our LBGT+ communities have in our force and policing generally.

“Across the force, we have a network of LGBT+ liaison officers who support victims of hate crime, work directly with local specialist organisations and provide advice to senior leaders and investigating officers.

“We are actively seeking the view and voices of our staff and our communities continue to influence, educate and shape our approach to policing and the issues raised in this letter are themes we are already exploring with them. Their perspectives will inform our response following that activity.”