Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has refused to apologize to the LGBT+ community for historical homophobia in the force.
The campaigners said that it was an “insult” after 21 other forces released formal apology on them. Past conductSaying that the GMP was “some of the most extreme illegal victims of LGBT by any UK force”.
Human rights donation Peter Tachel Foundation In June 2023, the LGBT+ was issued a call to all forces to regret the “decades-time victim” of the community.
However, in a recent letter, seen by IndependentIts main constable, Stephen Watson, “Accepting your request for a general apology” refused, adding it can be seen as “superficial and only protesters” and “incorrectly” the service of previous authorities.
Director of Foundation, Peter Tachel, who was nominated in this week IndependentProud list of 2025 For the activation of his gay rights, said: “The refusal to apologize is an insult to the LGBT+ community, who was very suffering from Manchester Police in the last decades.”
Mr. Tachel has written to CC Watson again this week, appealed to apologize once again – keeping in mind the disturbed history of late force Chief Constable Sir James Enderton in the 1980s.
At the height of the AIDS crisis, Mr. Enderton stated that gay men were “wandering in a human cess of making their own”, resulting in a call for his resignation.
“There is a particularly disturbing homophobic history of the Greater Manchester Police that is worthy of specific acknowledgment and forgiveness,” said Mr. Tache.
“In the 1980s, under the Chief Constable James Enderton, the force became synonymous with open enmity towards the LGBT+ community.”
He claimed that Mr. Enderton’s comments were not “isolated rhetoric” and the force targeted gay places in the raids in the 1980s, causing gay and bisexual men to be excluded and subjected to homophobic insults, dangers and violence.
Mr. Tachesel said: “Now adds an insult to injury to refuse to apologize. Forgiveness is not symbolic-they are justice and treatment functions. They show leadership and humanity. They tell the remaining people of police witch-skills: ‘We see you, we accept the loss, and we are sorry.’
“Twenty -one other forces have admitted that admitting previous mistakes helps to rebuild the LGBT+ Trust. This hatred will encourage more LGBT to report crimes, sexual attacks and domestic violence, which we all want.
“Not saying that sorry LGBT+ reduces confidence in the police and will damage the reputation of the police between LGBTS.
“We are not suggesting that all the previous officials were bad or blaming today’s officials. An apology is about taking responsibility for the behavior of Homophobic police in the last decades and saying sorry.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowle was the first to apologize at 2023, in one step, which was welcomed by Mr. Tatchel to “A Line Under Fast in Met Harassment”.
Later a string of others followed the suit, including former Mercyssed police chief constable Serena Kennedy, who released “honestly forgiveness and deep regret” for “historic bias”. Others include Dorset and North Yorkshire Police.
In his refusal letter in April 2025, CC Watson, appointed in 2021, said that GMP is proud to serve many of its diverse communities and tries to understand its previous experiences with force.
He said that the force has progressed “considerably” in the last 40 years and takes a zero-optimization attitude for discrimination.
He wrote: “I of course, regret that GMP, and police bodies who currently formed GMP before 1974, did not always perform for standards we serve.
However, it is also a case that in these several decades, thousands of police officers have performed their duties with decency, professionalism and compassion.
“As long as I accept that you are not demanding forgiveness to maintain the laws of the officer’s day, it would be quite unjust for me, as the current Chief Constable has done a completely unjust to cast any kind of comprehensive claim, especially as a normal conduct of the force for a long period of time, especially no person who can not fully do any person.
“Such forgiveness can be well seen, even by intended recipients, both superficial and only performance.
“This will incorrectly enforce the loyal and valuable services of previous authorities, and the possibility of any such apology will not make much or any difference to develop contemporary exercises, which you accept, currently very good and which carries the trust of both our current LGBTQ+ community and our own Staff Association.
“With regrets, therefore, I think I can’t accept your request for a general apology.”