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Peter Tatchell Wins
Prestigious Mike Rhodes Award 2001

Compiled by GayToday

British activist Peter Tatchell London, England--Peter Tatchell has won the Mike Rhodes Award 2001 for his success in lobbying the British Fertility Society to support same-sex parenting rights, and for his attempted citizen's arrest of President Mugabe of Zimbabwe in Brussels.

The Mike Rhodes Award is for the person who has done the most in the last 12 months "to promote an understanding lesbian and gay life".

He was presented with the award at a ceremony at the October Gallery in London on Tuesday, November 20, 2001.

"This Award is very special to me. It is my first ever award from the lesbian and gay community, and it is an award that commemorates my dear friend Mike Rhodes. We campaigned together in the Gay Liberation Front during the early 1970s."

"I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has helped my campaigns. None of my achievements would have been possible without their kindness and support".

"Mugabe's thugs have threatened to kill me, and the Australian government has banned me from returning to the country of my birth. But I am still defiant, and this award will help finance my continuing work for universal human rights".

"When I spoke at the British Fertility Society's annual conference in Belfast in April, I was the first openly gay person to address this meeting of embryologists, gynaecologists, fertility experts and reproductive scientists. It was the first time they had discussed lesbian and gay parenting rights. As a result of my lobbying, the conference voted by more than two to one in favour of providing donor insemination and surrogacy services to same-sex couples".

"My attempted citizen's arrest of President Mugabe has helped integrate queer rights into the struggle for universal human rights. By linking Mugabe 's homophobia with his many other abuses such as torture, detention without trial and the massacre of political opponents, my protest in Brussels helped put gay rights into the mainstream of the international human rights movement. It has given lesbian and gay people in Zimbabwe added legitimacy and kudos within the broader human rights struggle".

"If I can get my visa ban overturned, I intend to travel to Australia for the Commonwealth Summit in March 2002. My plan is to use international and Australian law to have President Mugabe arrested for the crime of torture".

Related Stories from the GayToday Archive:
Peter Tatchell: Outrage in Action

Peter Tatchell Bashed by Zimbabwean President's Thugs

Peter Tatchell Confront Chief Rabbi, Cardinal and Archbishop

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Peter Tatchell
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"I've been battling for queer human rights for 32 years. I intend to keep battling for another 32 years - or longer - until there is social justice and human rights for lesbian and gay people everywhere", said Tatchell.



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