Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell is wishing the Isle of Man’s first Pride festival well.

Mr Tatchell, who was the subject of an acclaimed Netflix documentary launched last month called Hating Peter Tatchell, is a director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan organisation that ’seeks to promote and protect the human rights of individuals, communities and nations, in the UK and internationally, in accordance with established national and international human rights law’.

He was born in Australia and moved to London in 1971, and became a prominent campaigner for gay and human rights, helping to organise Britain’s first Gay Pride march in 1972.

The 69-year-old has also taken part in many campaigns since, some of which have proved to be controversial. In 1998 he led an OutRage! protest that disrupted an Easter sermon given by George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, for which he was arrested and prosecuted under the Ecclesiastical Courts Jurisdiction Act 1860.

He was convicted and fined £18.60.

Mr Tatchell, who visited the Isle of Man in 2015, said: ’I am proud to support the first Manx Pride march and to celebrate with you the huge positive contribution that LGBT+ people make to the island.

’Despite great progress on LGBT+ rights, there are still injustices, such as conversion therapy, hate crime and the demonisation of trans people.

’Equality laws have exemptions for religious organisations.

’Many genuine LGBT+ refugees are detained and refused asylum. HIV advice and sex and relationship education in schools often ignore LGBT+ pupils.

’Seventy countries still criminalise same-sex relations and 10 have the death penalty.

’Much more needs to be done to secure universal LGBT+ acceptance, inclusion and equality.

’Good luck and thank you for your efforts.

’Have a great Manx Pride. Queer freedom is an unstoppable global trend. Together, we will make homophobia, biphobia and transphobia history.’

For more coverage of Isle of Pride, see the Manx Independent. On sale now.