Peter Tatchell – Director
Peter Tatchell was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1952 and has been campaigning since 1967 on issues of human rights, democracy, civil liberties, LGBT equality and global justice. His human rights inspirations include Mahatma Gandhi, Sylvia Pankhurst and Martin Luther King.
In 2009, he co-proposed a UN Global Human Rights Index, to measure and rank the human rights record of every country – with the aim of creating a human rights league table to highlight the best and worst countries and thereby incentivise governments to clean up their record and improve their human rights ranking.
In 2021, a documentary about his life, Hating Peter Tatchell, began streaming on Netflix. The same year, he coordinated the first and very successful Reclaim Pride march, which sought to get Pride back to its roots, with corporate sponsorship being replaced by a grassroots community and human rights focus.
He has proposed an internationally-binding UN Human Rights Convention enforceable through both national courts and the International Criminal Court; a permanent rapid-reaction UN peace-keeping force with the authority to intervene to stop genocide and war crimes; and a global agreement to cut military spending by 10 percent to fund the eradication of hunger, disease, illiteracy, unemployment and homelessness in the developing world.
Pliny Soocoormanee – Executive Officer to Peter Tatchell
Pliny coordinated the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) seminar series on global citizenship at the University of Wolverhampton. During this time, he was recognized as a ‘Friendly Face.’ He holds an MA in International Business, specializing in cross-cultural issues, management, and leadership, a BSc (Hons) in Economics and Finance, and a Dip in Sumerian and Mesopotamian Civilization.
Pliny has actively supported numerous LGBT initiatives in both Shropshire and the West Midlands, in addition to contributing to LGBT+ organizations in Mauritius. As a dedicated LGBT campaigner, he is committed to driving positive change in the pursuit of creating a better world. His efforts have extended to assisting numerous LGBT+ asylum seekers, reflecting his passion for ensuring that no individual faces persecution due to their sexual orientation.
He was nominated as an LGBT role model at the National Diversity Award. Furthermore, he secured an NDA award as part of Gay Indian Network. His contributions were also acknowledged when he became a finalist for the University of Wolverhampton Alumni Award and for the GG2 Leadership & Diversity Award.