UK Gay Activists Speaks OUT

In the UK on the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which is this Thursday July 27th UK Prime Minister Theresa May is being urged to apologize & compensate men convicted under discriminatory anti-gay laws both before & after the partial decriminalization of male homosexuality 50 years ago. Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation stated, “Around 100,000 men were convicted of consenting homosexual behavior following the outlawing in 1885 of all sexual acts between men; with 15,000 of these men being convicted after the Sexual Offences Act was legislated in 1967. The criminalization of homosexuality did not end across the whole of the UK until 2013. These men deserve an apology & compensation for the terrible persecution they suffered. Many were jailed & nearly all endured devastating knock-on consequences. They often lost their jobs & became near unemployable & semi-destitute because of the stigma associated with having a conviction for a homosexual offence. Some experienced the break-up of their marriages & lost custody and access to their children. Families & friends disowned them & they were abused & sometimes assaulted in the street. Many descended into a downward spiral of depression, alcoholism, mental illness & suicide or attempted suicide. The psychological & emotional scars were devastating & long lasting. That’s why they need & deserve a Prime Ministerial apology & state compensation.”
For More Info: petertatchellfoundation.org
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