Peter Tatchell – Director
Peter Tatchell was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1952 and has been campaigning since 1967 on issues of human rights, democracy, civil liberties, LGBT equality and global justice. His human rights inspirations include Mahatma Gandhi, Sylvia Pankhurst and Martin Luther King.
In 2009, he co-proposed a UN Global Human Rights Index, to measure and rank the human rights record of every country – with the aim of creating a human rights league table to highlight the best and worst countries and thereby incentivise governments to clean up their record and improve their human rights ranking.
In 2021, a documentary about his life, Hating Peter Tatchell, began streaming on Netflix. The same year, he coordinated the first and very successful Reclaim Pride march, which sought to get Pride back to its roots, with corporate sponsorship being replaced by a grassroots community and human rights focus.
He has proposed an internationally-binding UN Human Rights Convention enforceable through both national courts and the International Criminal Court; a permanent rapid-reaction UN peace-keeping force with the authority to intervene to stop genocide and war crimes; and a global agreement to cut military spending by 10 percent to fund the eradication of hunger, disease, illiteracy, unemployment and homelessness in the developing world.
Alessandro Storer – Chief Operating Officer
Alessandro (aka Alex) started his career aspiring to be a diplomat. He worked in Jerusalem, Brussels, and Tunisia, managing EU-funded human rights projects. In 2012, he moved to London and specialised in workplace equality, diversity, inclusion, and culture change. He co-founded Diversity Pride and The House of Inclusion and worked across sectors creating places where everyone truly belongs. He is also an LGBT+ activist, a community organiser, and has been a core volunteer at Pride in London for 10 years, where he currently holds the role of Head of Human Rights.
Pliny Soocoormanee – Executive Officer to Peter Tatchell
Pliny coordinated the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) seminar series on global citizenship at the University of Wolverhampton. During this time, he was recognised as a ‘Friendly Face.’ He holds an MA in International Business, specialising in cross-cultural issues, management, and leadership, a BSc (Hons) in Economics and Finance, and a Dip in Sumerian and Mesopotamian Civilisation.
Pliny has actively supported numerous LGBT initiatives in both Shropshire and the West Midlands, in addition to contributing to LGBT+ organisations in Mauritius. As a dedicated LGBT campaigner, he is committed to driving positive change in the pursuit of creating a better world. His efforts have extended to assisting numerous LGBT+ asylum seekers, reflecting his passion for ensuring that no individual faces persecution due to their sexual orientation.
Pliny won the National Diversity Award as a Positive Role Model for LGBT in 2024 . Furthermore, he secured an NDA award as part of the Gay Indian Network. His contributions were also acknowledged when he became a finalist for the University of Wolverhampton Alumni Award and for the GG2 Leadership & Diversity Award.
James Dart – Campaigns and Digital Officer
James is a campaigns and communications professional with over a decade of experience working across democracy, human rights and civil society organisations. He specialises in digital strategy, media engagement and public campaigning.
He has held communications and campaign roles with organisations including Humanists International, Children England, Make Votes Matter and Scientists for EU, as well as founding his own campaigns such as Yes! I Will Vote – a national youth voter registration campaign that helped register over 100,000 young people ahead of the 2019 UK general election.
Alongside his campaigning work, James has a background in teaching, which continues to inform his interest in education, communication and social change. He has also founded community initiatives including Exeter Humanists and previously served as President of Humanist Students UK, supporting student-led activism across the country.
He is currently completing a PhD focused on digital literacy and democracy, and writes widely on education and democratic issues, alongside producing podcast interviews with campaigners, politicians and public figures.
Cal Barnett – Donor Administrator
Cal has a PhD in Medieval History and taught history at University for many years. They are now based in the Highlands of Scotland, where they were one of the original founder members of Lochaber Pride / Pròis Loch Abair in 2023. They are an active member of the LGBTI+ Cross Party Group at the Scottish Parliament; of Age Scotland’s LGBTQ+ Older People’s Network; of Out Together, the monthly meeting of LGBTQ+ Elders at Eden Court, Inverness; and a regular attendee of LGBT Health and Wellbeing’s social events. Their current priority is campaigning for better health and social care outcomes for LGBTQ+ Elders and Neurodivergent Elders.