TATCHELL SNUBBED BY 10 DOWNING ST

Britain’s best known gay rights activist, Peter Tatchell, has for the second year not been invited to the annual Pride reception at 10 Downing Street.

The human rights campaigner told PinkNews.co.uk: “It’s no big deal I haven’t been invited. I’m not kicking up a fuss but it is odd that I’ve never been invited to a Downing Street reception despite my 40-plus years of campaigning for LGBT human rights.”

Tatchell was last year snubbed by former Prime Minster Gordon Brown at the inaugural event and has again been left off the invite list, this time by Prime Minister David Cameron.

The reception, which is in honour of the LGBT community ahead of Pride in London, is being hosted for the first time by a Conservative Party government.

Leading members of the community – including celebrities, business-people and members of the pink media – are expected to meet Cameron at the event.

While the UK has legalised same-sex civil partnerships Tatchell has been critical of both Brown and Cameron’s refusal to legalise full same-sex marriage rights.