West Midlands Police urged to apologise for past homophobia
“I hope that you’ll also recognise the merit and importance of an apology to the LGBT+ community”
An appeal has been sent to the West Midlands Police calling for them to apologise for past homophobia.
The call came in the form of a letter from human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell.
Furthermore, he has called on the force to release an apology ahead of Birmingham Pride on 27 May.
Tatchell also shared that he had challenged the previous Chief Constable, David Thompson, at Birmingham Pride in 2021. Thompson failed to apologise, according to Tatchell.
Tatchell has addressed the new letter to West Midlands Police Chief Constable Greg Guildford and shared a copy with Attitude.
After congratulating Constable Guildford on his new appointment, Tatchell then laid out his proposal.
“In order to draw a line under the past extreme persecution of LGBT+ people by West Midlands Police, I hope that you will agree that some expression of remorse is appropriate.”
Tatchell then noted the force was for many decades “one of the most homophobic in Britain.”
Continuing, he said the force devoted: “huge and disproportionate resources to hunt down LGBT+ people for consenting behaviour that harmed no one.”
“I note with gratitude that your predecessor, Sir David Thompson, apologised in 2020 to the Black community for the history of racism by the West Midlands Police.”
“Their lives were ruined by the police.”
“I hope that you’ll also recognise the merit and importance of an apology to the LGBT+ community,” he continued. “It would help further improve LGBT+ trust and confidence in the police, which is what we all want.”
Tatchell also detailed how people’s “lives were ruined” by West Midlands Police. He said up to 2003 officers leaked personal details of arrested men to the media. This led to “public humiliation, ostracism, evictions, sackings and even violent attack.”
Tatchell’s letter concluded: “I hope you might consider a formal apology to the LGBT+ community, ahead of the upcoming Birmingham Pride on 27 May.”
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police confirmed to Attitude they had received the letter from Peter Tatchell and “will be responding to it in due course.”