Twenty police forces to say sorry to LGBTs
6 June 2024
Derbyshire’s Chief Constable, Rachel Swann, has made a formal apology to the LGBT+ community, acknowledging past homophobic witch-hunts and discriminatory law enforcement.
In a letter to LGBT+ campaigner Peter Tatchell, Swann expressed regret for the harm caused by the often-abusive way the police enforced historic anti-LGBT+ laws:
“I have apologised for any historic misuse of the legislation which had a detrimental impact on people and their confidence in policing,” Swann wrote.
The Chief also said, “We recognise that the reporting of crime such as hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual assault is currently under reported, so are working to encourage the community to have confidence to report crime, ensuring that we are supportive and respond robustly to those who discriminate and victimise members of the LGBT+ community.”
Swann is one of twenty UK police chiefs to apologise, following similar apologies by the heads of the Metropolitan, City of London, Sussex, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Gwent, Avon & Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Dorset, West Mercia, North Yorkshire, Suffolk, Northumbria, Merseyside, Wiltshire, Police Scotland and Nottinghamshire forces.
Her apology is in response to the #ApologiseNow campaign initiated by the Peter Tatchell Foundation. The campaign was backed by comedian and TV presenter Paul O’Grady before his untimely passing.
The Chief Constable’s full letter can be read here
Peter Tatchell expressed gratitude for Rachel Swann’s apology:
“My immense gratitude to Rachel Swann for her forthright apology to the LGBT+ community on behalf of Derbyshire police – and for the positive, supportive and inclusive LGBT+ policies she set out in her letter to me.
“Some people in power find it hard to say sorry for past wrongs. Rachel Swann didn’t hesitate or evade the need for a clear apology. That marks her out as a commendable police chief. We thank her and her officers.
“This apology does the Derbyshire police proud and will win much appreciation and praise from the LGBT+ community. It will go a long way towards securing a more constructive, collaborative relationship between Derbyshire police and LGBT+ people – further building trust and cooperation.
“Saying sorry helps draw a line under past police homophobia. It’s a laudable continuation of the great work the police have been doing in recent years. I hope it will inspire more LGBTs to report hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual assaults, which is what we all want,” said Mr Tatchell.
The Peter Tatchell Foundation continues to urge every Chief Constable in the UK to apologise for their force’s historic homophobic persecution in decades past. We continue to chase the remaining 30 police forces that have not said sorry.
The #ApologiseNow petition can be read and signed at ApologiseNow.com