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Portillo Shrieks: 'Go Away! You Horrible Little Man!'

Peter Tatchell Eludes Hypocrite's Tory Security Guard

Once-Closeted Homophobic UK Politician Turns Ashen

Compiled By GayToday

London, England--An extraordinary security gaffe by Tory party officials allowed their Kensington by-election candidate, the formerly-closeted Michael Portillo, to be grilled last Thursday for more than five minutes because of his opposition to gay equality. His interrogator was queer rights direct action campaigner, Peter Tatchell of OutRage!.

Michael Portillo

Throughout his finally successful by-election campaign, Portillo had been ring-fenced by security men and helpers the British call 'minders' to prevent Peter Tatchell from asking him questions about his support for legal discrimination against homosexuals.

Left alone to canvass voters outside the High Street Kensington subway station at 7.45 a.m., Portillo floundered hopelessly as Tatchell demanded to know why the once-closeted conservative had backed Britain's discriminatory age of consent, the infamous Section 28, an anti-gay Thatcher-era law, and the ban on gays and lesbians in the military.

OutRage! London's
Peter Tatchell

"When he saw me, the blood drained from his face", said Tatchell. "He looked bewildered, angry and lost. His eyes were casting around desperately in search of his minders, but they were nowhere to be seen".

"I walked over and offered to shake his hand", said Tatchell. "He refused."

Holding a placard with the words "Portillo enforced ban on gay soldiers", Tatchell then quizzed Portillo: "If elected an MP, will you vote for an equal age of consent? Will you support the repeal of Section 28 ?"

Portillo refused to answer, saying to Tatchell: "You are a horrible little man. Go away".

Portillo walked back and forth around the subway station foyer in a frantic bid to shake off Tatchell. "He was in a very agitated state, clearly furious that his minders had failed to keep me at bay", said Tatchell.

In response to further questions from Tatchell, Portillo said he had "no regrets" over voting against gay equality when he was an MP, and he defended the dismissal of lesbians and gays from the armed forces during the period when he was Defense Secretary.

Portillo bragged to Tatchell: "You are too late to effect the poll. You cannot harm me. Go away!"

Cutting short his scheduled 45-minute canvassing session at the High Street Kensington subway station, Portillo attempted to flee the scene.

When his minders arrived, Portillo was hastily escorted down a street at the side of the station, with Mr. Tatchell in hot pursuit, still asking him questions about his anti-gay voting record when he was an MP.

Mr. Tatchell was pushed and shoved aside by Tory minders, including Mr. Michael Morely, who, on three previous occasions during the by-election campaign, had manhandled Tatchell during his attempts to question Portillo.

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Ushering Portillo into a waiting car, the planned escape was blocked and delayed when Peter Tatchell ran in front of the vehicle. Twice Tory officials had to jump out of the car and drag Mr. Tatchell out of the way, before Portillo sped off.