Gay Activists Honored by Queen Elizabeth

(London) The police officer who created Britain's Gay Police Association, and a Scottish mother who has a gay son and who fought for the repeal of the notorious Section 28 have been named Members of the British Empire by the Queen.

When Inspector Paul Cahill, 32, joined London's Metropolitan Police Force in the 1990s it was as he says today "virtually not acceptable to be gay".

Today, as a result of his lobbying, each London division has an officer to liaise with the gay community. In addition, Cahill is chairman of the Gay Police Association which has 1,000 members.

His MBE was for "services to diversity in the police and the wider community".

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens nominated Cahill for the MBE. The MET's Acting Deputy Assistant Commissioner is also gay. Brian Paddick last week won a libel settlement from a London newspaper for a series of articles about him in which he was accused of allowing his partner to smoke marijuana. (story)

Also awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honors list was Anne Patrizio, an Edinburgh, Scotland, teacher who has campaigned for the rights of LGBT people. The mother of a gay teen, Patrizio fought to have Section 28 overturned. The law, passed during the Thatcher era, prohibited discussions of homosexuality in schools.

"Our son knew he was different from the time he was six-years-old and this is quite common," Patrizio said in a BBC interview.

"He gradually learned what was different about himself but it was not until he reached university that he met anyone else who he knew to be gay. That whole process took 17 years, during which time he coped alone. We are so glad he coped - some young people cannot - but we are also devastated that he had to."

The honors are officially bestowed by the Queen but largely selected by the government.

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