GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST PETER TATCHELL DENIED ENTRY TO LONDON PRIDE RECEPTION

News, Pride by HOMOVISION on June 29, 2009 at 10:50 pm

For the first time since the London Mayor’s Pride Reception has taken place, none of the Pride Patrons – including Peter Tatchell – Britain’s leading gay rights activist – were invited to tonight’s (Monday) Pride reception at City Hall, hosted by Boris Johnson.

Tatchell – a strong critic of the Conservative Party’s connections with far-right MEPs – added: “I don’t know why I wasn’t invited. Incompetence? Nah. They are not that stupid. Besides they were asked three times to invite me and refused.”

Rumours are that the Chair of London Pride – Paul Birrell – did ask that Peter Tatchell was invited to the event, but was over-ruled. Over-heard during the event, one City Hall employee was even heard criticising Tatchell and other gay activists as being out-dated for modern Pride events.

This year’s Gay Pride reception took place in London’s Living Room – a reception room at the top of City Hall – and appeared smaller in scale that past Pride receptions.

Outside a number of Christian fundamentalists held placards and shouted “Stop financing gay pride with taxpayers money”. Arriving at the event, Paul Burston – journalist and author – jumped in and challenged them.

VIDEO OF PAUL BURSTON MEETING FUNDAMENTALISTS

VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH PETER TATCHELL OUTSIDE CITY HALL

Tags: Boris, Boris Johnson, christian, city hall, conservatives, gay, gay pride 2009, gay rights, gays, london, London Mayor, money, parties, Peter Tatchell, Pride, pride london, Rights, times, video, Videos

zefrog

it would indeed seem rather odd that Tatchell should not be invited to the Pride Reception and if access was indeed refused then that should be corrected.

Something that need pointing out however is that Tatchell for all the good work he does never comes to meetings of the quarterly LGBT organisations meeting at the GLA (even under the previous administration) from which most of the guests come from or at events organised by (his local) Southwark LGBT Network. A little more esprit de corps could perhaps help his fortunes and save him from claiming that no one gets involved with he calls for a protest...

There has also been very serious issues between the Pride organisers and certain parts of the community (BME, trans, women). I suspect this is largely due to personalities but at the very least Pride London has a massive PR problem and don't seem to be doing much to solve it.

Finally, I was at the reception tonight and spotted several people who were involved with the former administration among the guests, which seems to invalidate somewhat claims of partisanship.

BoJo, who, by his own admission, was slightly under the influence, made a rather incoherent and certainly irrelevant speech but Stephen K Amos was spot on.

I was at last year's too and contrary to you, found this year's event better attended.