Police Chief Apologises for Decades of LGBTQ+ Persecution
Birmingham Pride director Lawrence Barton has described West Midlands Police's apology for historic discrimination against LGBTQ+ people as a vital moment of 'courage'. The apology, issued by acting Chief Constable Scott Green, acknowledges the force's role in targeting gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender individuals up until 2003, when homosexuality was fully decriminalised.
Barton, 52, who has campaigned for the apology for years, said: "It's moved me tremendously to hear the chief of the West Midlands Police force do what his two immediate predecessors did not - which is to finally acknowledge the hurt and harm done. It's a really emotional moment."
Historic Harm Acknowledged
In a letter published by BirminghamLive, Green wrote: "I recognise laws were historically wrongly used to proactively target members of the LGBTQ+ community, in particular gay and bi-sexual men, and that this ruined lives having a lasting negative impact." He added: "This was completely wrong and for this I would like to extend a sincere apology for any recent and historic injustices and discrimination."
The apology covers the period before the Sexual Offences Act 2003, when thousands of men were arrested and convicted under laws criminalising 'gross indecency'. Homosexual acts were only partly decriminalised in 1967, and LGBTQ+ people faced unequal ages of consent, a ban on military service until 2000, and Section 28 which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools.
Personal Impact and Ongoing Fear
Despite the apology, Barton admitted he still feels a frisson of fear when reaching for his husband's hand in public in Birmingham. "True equality still feels a long way off," he said. "I was born in Birmingham and even now I would still not feel safe walking through the city holding hands with my husband."
Barton reflected on his own experiences: "When I came out at the age of 18, I fell in love with a man who I have now been with for over 30 years and has been my husband now for 24 years. But back in the 1990s I could not openly be with him. We were breaking the law because the age of consent was 21."
Rising Hate Crimes and Persistent Homophobia
The spectre of homophobia still looms large amid rising hate crimes in Birmingham and the West Midlands, Barton warned. "Equality is not just about being able to legally marry or be together in the eyes of the law. It is about acceptance and safely being able to express love openly. Sadly we are not there yet. We are nowhere near that point in our city; I fear we have many more years to go."
Barton noted that as recently as the last local elections, homosexuality was used as a line of attack against people and parties. "Some individuals were saying disgraceful things," he added. "It shows the Pride movement and mission is still needed."
Previous Chiefs Refused to Apologise
Two previous chief constables - Sir Dave Thompson and Craig Guildford - were asked to make the same apology but made excuses not to do so, according to Barton. He praised Scott Green for having the courage to acknowledge the harm, and also credited community members who fought for this recognition.
"Police officers did awful things to trap gay people and to expose them, it was incredibly wrong," Barton said. "Many people are still living with the trauma of what they lived through in the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. The scepticism and mistrust you see from many LGBTQ people towards the police now is rooted in those experiences."
Police and Crime Commissioner Welcomes Apology
Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, who also lobbied for the apology, said: "I welcome West Midlands Police's decision to apologise for the role it played in contributing to historic discrimination and victimisation experienced by LGBTQ+ communities. This discrimination and victimisation was of course also reflected in wider society and was not exclusive to policing."
Foster added: "I called for this apology because building trust and confidence requires us to confront difficult truths about our history. Policing by consent depends on strong relationships with all communities and that essential trust can only be strengthened through accountability, openness and a commitment to learning from the past."
Global Context and Ongoing Struggle
Barton highlighted that globally, LGBTQ+ people are still persecuted. "Three quarters of the countries of the Commonwealth have anti-LGBTQ laws. You can be imprisoned or killed for being gay in many parts of the world because of faith or cultural ideas." He concluded: "We still have a long way to go to achieve true equality. But today is a really important, historic day, and we need to be positive."
