Exclusive: George Osborne to meet Peter Tatchell ahead of David Cameron’s ‘coming out party’

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

PinkNews.co.uk can reveal that shadow chancellor and Conservative general election campaign manager George Osborne is to meet the gay rights campaigner and Green party activist Peter Tatchell ahead of his event to persuade Conservative leader David Cameron to ‘come out’ more on gay rights.

Mr Tatchell is organising the event which will take place outside the Conservative Party headquarters in Westminster with the lesbian environmental activist Tamsin Omond. The event was originally organised via Facebook on the basis that David Cameron had no policies relating to gay rights, and followed comments by shadow home secretary Chris Grayling that appeared to support the rights of bed and breakfast owners to ban gay couples.

Writing for PinkNews.co.uk yesterday, David Cameron did announce two gay rights policies. One was to erase the criminal records of all convicted of gay sex offenses that are now legal, the other to introduce a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to homophobic bullying in schools.

Yesterday, writing for PinkNews.co.uk, Peter Tatchell welcomed Mr Cameron’s new gay rights policies: “Although only a halfway house, this is a move in the right direction. The failure of the Home Secretary Alan Johnson to match this commitment makes the Tories more progressive on this issue than Labour.”

But added: “It is a big disappointment that David Cameron is only offering two gay rights policies.”

Mr Tatchell is also due to be meeting senior gay Conservative Nick Herbert and Theresa May who is the shadow work and pensions secretary and shadow minister for equality.

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