Peter Tatchell

Peter Tatchell (1952–) is an Australian-born British campaigner for human rights and specifically gay rights through the direct action group OutRage!, of which he is a co-founder.

In 1981, Tatchell was selected by the Labour Party (UK) to run in the Bermondsey by-election. This seat was won by Simon Hughes, a Liberal Democrat. Tatchell has claimed – and it is widely accepted – that the Bermondsey by-election was particularly dirty in terms of campaigning. In 1990, he lost in the Labour selection contest for the Hampstead and Highgate constituency against Glenda Jackson. Tatchell left the Labour Party in 2000 and became a member of the Green Party (UK), and was selected to run as a Green candidate for Oxford East in 2007, but pulled out in December 2009 citing brain damage that occurred as a result of assaults received while protesting.

In 2010, Tatchell has been involved in protests against the state visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom, including presenting a Channel 4 documentary on the Pope.