■ Peter Tatchell

GLOUCESTER, July 30, 2006  –  World-famous gay and lesbian human rights activist Peter Tatchell has accepted an invitation to speak at next month’s Gloucestershire Rainbow Day (Gay Pride) to be staged in Gloucester.

The event, on Saturday August 12, is the first-ever in Gloucestershire.

Mr. Tatchell of Outrage! in London will be giving a talk on LGBT rights both in this country and abroad in the Coach and Horses, St. Catherine Street, following the lunchtime march through the city centre.

“We are very honoured that Peter has agreed to come to our event – the first such “pride” in the county,” said Chris Marsh, the chair of the organising committee.

“It is quite a coup for us,” he added,

Both the City Council and the police have approved the route for the march.  It will start from outside the Shire Hall and proceed up Westgate Street to The Cross, then down Northgate Street and into Hare Lane, dispersing outside the Coach and Horses where there will be an afternoon of events for everyone.

“We have had tremendous support and encouragement from the City Council, the County Council and the Gloucestershire Police,” Mr. Marsh said.

“The City is even asking us about next year’s event.”

Last weekend, Mr. Tatchell was in Latvia for Riga Pride.  The parade was banned by the Riga city authorities for “national security” reasons, which has led to considerable criticism from the Council of Europe.

He was also at the first-ever Gay Pride in Russia in May when gay men and women from across Europe were subjected to considerable violence from ultra right wing and fundamentalist religious groups.