Peter Tatchell pictured returning to UK from 2018 Russia World Cup (Photo: @PeterTatchell | Twitter)
Peter Tatchell has been invited to Downing Street by Prime Minister Theresa May.
Throughout the last decade, three former prime ministers banned the LGBT rights activist from Downing Street LGBT pride receptions.
The receptions collect key LGBT community leaders as recognition of their contributions to LGBT rights and culture.
Tatchell said in a statement: ‘Since the inception of Downing Street LGBT Pride receptions a decade ago, I have been banned from attending by successive Prime Ministers – Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
‘Despite my 51 years of campaigning, and my role in the UK’s first Pride parade in 1972, they apparently deemed me to be the unacceptable face of LGBT activism.
‘I was therefore surprised and delighted that Theresa May has invited me to this year’s reception on 3 July – just days after I wrote to her urging compensation for gay men convicted under past anti-gay laws.
The veteran activist revealed that he has accepted the invitation despite being ‘not much fussed about attending such receptions.’
Tatchell said that he is looking forward to meeting Prime Minister May and ‘reiterating my call for gay victims of homophobic laws, who suffered so badly, to receive government compensation.’
‘She has already acknowledged the grave injustice done to these men, so I hope she will go one step further and recognize that these men deserve recompense for the terrible trauma of criminalization that they went through.’
Peter Tatchell back in Britain after Russian arrest
Tatchell recently returned to Britain following his arrest in Russia for staging a one-man protest.
Whilst attending the FIFA World Cup, Tatchell stood in Red Square holding a placard criticizing Russian president Vladimir Putin. The sign read: ‘Putin fails to go against Chechnya torture of gay people.’
Police detained Tatchell at Tverskaya Police Station. They charged him for ‘violating Federal Law 54 and Presidential Decree 202’. Russian law ‘prohibits protests near the Kremlin and during the World Cup, according to Tatchell’s Twitter.
Tatchell said he faced no problems leaving the country, despite a court case scheduled for July 26. Tatchell refused to attend.
Peter Tatchell protesting in Russia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup | Photo: @PeterTatchell Twitter
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Peter Tatchell allowed to fly home after gay rights protest in Russia
