LGBT+: Metropolitan Police chief apologises to Peter Tatchell over past failings

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has apologised to LGBT+ campaigner Peter Tatchell for the force's homophobic failings.

In what Mr Tatchell said was a "ground-breaking measurement forward", Sir Mark's missive said helium was "sorry to each of the communities we person fto down".

Mr Tatchell said the apology "draws a enactment nether past Met persecution".

It came connected the time the Peter Tatchell Foundation launched a run calling connected each UK constabulary chiefs to apologise for "decades-long victimisation" of the LGBT+ community.

In his letter, Sir Mark admitted helium accepted it "had systems and processes successful spot which person led to bias and favoritism successful the mode we person policed London's communities, and successful the mode we person treated our officers and staff, implicit galore decades.

"Recent cases of appalling behaviour by immoderate officers person revealed that determination are inactive racists, misogynists, homophobes and transphobes successful the organisation, and we person already doubled down connected rooting retired those who corrupt and maltreatment their position."

He added: "I americium wide that determination is overmuch for america to do. I americium atrocious to each of the communities we person fto down for the failings of the past and look guardant to gathering a caller Met for London, 1 each Londoners tin beryllium arrogant of and successful which they tin person confidence."

In response, Mr Tatchell thanked Sir Mark for "being the archetypal UK constabulary main to accidental sorry" adding helium hoped his apology would spur different constabulary forces to travel suit.

"This volition assistance fortify LGBT+ spot and assurance successful the police; encouraging much LGBTs to study hatred crime, home unit and intersexual assault," helium added.

The motorboat lawsuit connected Wednesday featured a video from O'Grady, wherever helium urged the constabulary to accidental atrocious for the often abusive, and sometimes illegal, mode they treated LGBT people.

Australian-born Mr Tatchell has been campaigning for quality rights since helium was a teenager, including supporting Australia's Aboriginal people.

He continued to run for quality rights aft moving to London successful the 1970s, protesting against the likes of boxer Mike Tyson, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and erstwhile Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey implicit the years.

In 1999, helium tried to execute a citizen's apprehension connected erstwhile premier curate of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe implicit his quality rights abuses - but was severely beaten by Mr Mugabe's bodyguards.

Since 2011, helium has been the manager of the Peter Tatchell Foundation.