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Well-known gay rights activist Peter Tatchell claimed he has been barred from the Prime Minister’s official Pride event at Downing Street.

In a statement, Tatchell said “I don’t do my human rights work to win awards, honours or invites. It doesn’t matter to me that I haven’t been invited.

“What angers me is the principle - the way the Prime Minister invites and fetes mostly tame pro-Labour loyalists in the LGBT community. It is a manipulative tactic by an insecure government that knows its record on LGBT human rights is not as glorious as it claims.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently sent a message of support to the LGBT community in advance of the annual London Pride event which is happening this Saturday 4th July. In a message to gay news publication Pink Paper he said “We (the Labour government) won’t ever give up on the fight for equality - we are marching with you every step of the way.”

Gordon Brown is unable to attend London Pride but his wife, Sarah Brown, has been reported to be marching in the parade to show support.

Tatchell also said “The same selective invitation criteria was applied when Gordon Brown hosted a Downing Street reception for LGBT campaigners in March. An insider tipped me off that my name had been removed from the invite list, at Gordon Brown’s personal request. He was apparently still angry that I had heckled him over his government’s erosion of civil liberties, when he opened the Taking Liberties exhibition at the British Library late last year.

“Instead of remedying the remaining issues of homophobic discrimination, Gordon Brown seems more interested in isolating and excluding LGBT voices who continue to insist on full LGBT human rights.”

Posted in: Campaigns & Politics |