Tatchell, Peter, 1952-....

Peter Tatchell was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1952. In 1972 he emigrated to Britain to avoid being drafted to the Vietnam War, which he had actively opposed. He worked freelance in design and display whilst studying for a BSc in Sociology at the Polytechnic of North London; 1974-1977. During this period, Tatchell attended meetings of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and soon became actively involved in gay politics. He acted as the GLF delegate to the World Youth Festival in East Berlin in 1973.

Following his graduation in 1977, Tatchell became a social worker with the North Lambeth housing agency in Waterloo. In 1978 Tatchell founded the UK AIDS Vigil Organisation, the first group to campaign for the civil liberties of those with AIDS. This was followed in 1989 by his creation of the London Act Up (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power). In the year 2000, Peter Tatchell stood unsuccessfully as an Independent candidate for the new Greater London Assembly.

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