Kaleidoscope Trust announces Rt. Hon Lord Fowler as new President

Kaleidoscope Trust is delighted to announce that the Rt. Hon Lord Fowler (Norman Fowler) has agreed to take up the role of President of the organisation.

Norman Fowler is the Speaker of the House of Lords. As Secretary of State for Health in the 1980s, he persuaded a reluctant Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, that it was the government’s duty to mount a large-scale and graphic campaign to warn of the risks of HIV/AIDS. It was controversial at the time but helped save countless lives of LGBT+ community members in the UK.

Since then, Lord Fowler has been a prominent and influential campaigner for effective action to combat the spread of HIV. In doing so, he has taken up the cause of LGBT+ people globally, arguing that “to a greater or lesser extent discrimination is the experience of millions of gay men, lesbians and transgender people around the world” and “that it is time for those of us who believe that this is an international scandal on a par with race and religious hatred to combat the bigots and find a way forward”.

Sir Stephen Wall, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said:

“Lord Fowler has long been a staunch advocate for the rights of LGBT+ people globally. His Presidency of Kaleidoscope Trust sends a powerful message about the basic human rights still denied to LGBT+ people and about his public support for the work of the LGBT+ activists seeking to right a terrible wrong”

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Executive Director, said:

“Allies have always been integral to the fight for LGBT+ rights worldwide, and Lord Fowler’s advocacy has been of immense importance to the LGBT+ community here in the UK and abroad. We are thrilled to have Lord Fowler join the Kaleidoscope Trust family and look forward to working with him in our ongoing battle to uphold LGBT+ rights across the globe”

Lord Fowler’s enthusiastic agreement to be the President of Kaleidoscope Trust gives us added strength and confidence in carrying out our work.