UK’s first pride march organiser Ted Brown awarded honorary doctorate
"The long road it took to get here means everything to me"
By Aaron Sugg
Ted Brown, Attitude Pride Award winner and pioneering figure in British civil rights LGBTQ+ history, has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Brighton today (1 August) ahead of Brighton Pride tomorrow.
The award recognises his 50-plus years of impactful activism and social justice campaigning, including helping organise the UK’s first Gay Pride march in 1972.
The 75-year-old became a leading figure in the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), which laid the foundation for what is now Pride in London. The annual event draws over 1.5 million people.
In a news release the Doctorate said: “I never imagined that standing up for who I am and for what I believe in would become what it is today.”
Born Theodore York Walker Brown to Jamaican parents in New York in 1972, he helped organise a “kiss-in” protest in London, challenging the criminalisation of same-sex intimacy.
In 1990, Brown co-founded Black Lesbians and Gays Against Media Homophobia in response to what he described as the “racist and dehumanising” treatment against Justin Fashanu, the world’s first openly gay, Black professional footballer.
“The long road it took to get here means everything to me” – Ted Brown
Brown also campaigned against the violent homophobia in Buju Banton’s song ‘Boom Bye Bye’, which the artist later disowned and no longer performs. Brown was physically attacked during the campaign.
“To be recognised by University of Brighton, not just for the march or the moments people remember, but for the long road it took to get here, means everything to me,” Brown said.
“Thinking about all those who came before me, stood with me and continue fighting”
“The university’s values of courage and equity truly reflect the conviction behind everything I do. And now, many years later, I feel very proud to receive this honour thinking about all those who came before me, stood with me and continue fighting for their rightful place in this world.”
Professor Donna Whitehead, vice-chancellor of the University of Brighton, said: “Ted Brown has not just shaped British civil rights history, he has helped to write it.
“Fairness, visibility, and justice reflects the very values this university stands for” – Professor Donna Whitehead
“As our city prepares for Brighton Pride this weekend, it’s clear that Ted has changed this country for the better. His lifelong commitment to fairness, visibility, and justice reflects the very values this university stands for. We are honoured to celebrate his legacy and to learn from the example he continues to set.”
Alongside Brown, honorary degrees will be awarded to three others. Accessibility consultant Steven Misfud MBE and cultural advocate Philippa Aldrich will each receive an honorary Doctor of Arts, while Brighton-based legal innovator and educator Alan Larkin will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws.