Peter Ashman Memorial Archive
About this Archive
Administrative/Biographical History
Peter Ashman was a human rights lawyer and activist. Peter studied law at King’s College London in the early 1970s. He became involved with the London Gay Liberation Front, helping to produce the final edition of its magazine, 'Coming Out', in 1973. After completing his Bar finals he spent a couple of years in a commercial law practice before joining JUSTICE, the British section of the International Commission Jurists, as its Legal Officer in 1977. In the mid-1970s he joined the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (at that time, the leading lesbian and gay advocacy organisation for England and Wales), where in 1977 he co-founded its Law Reform Committee. He was to play a leading role throughout the 12 years of the Committee’s existence.
His vision and knowledge inspired and guided the work of both the CHE Law Reform Committee and the International Gay Association/International Lesbian and Gay Association (IGA/ILGA) up to the 1990s. The IGA/ILGA's objectives and human rights ethos owed much to Ashman’s influence.
Ashman's activism spanned the time period covered by this archive (from the days of the Gay Liberation Front to Stonewall, of which he was a founding member, and which operated from his front room for its first six months) and continued well into the 21st century.
Scope and Content
Papers of Peter Ashman. Includes papers and publications regarding CHE Law Reform campaigning documents; minutes of meetngs of the CHE Law Reform Committee; 1980 Housing Bill; CHE submission (1981) on the Criminal Law Revision Committee's Working Paper on Sexual Offences; CHE submission (1980) responding to the June 1979 Policy Advisory Committee on Sexual Offences Working Paper on the Age of Consent; gays in the Armed Forces; the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill (1983, 1984); cases brought before the European Convention on Human Rights; Gay Lobby 91974-1984); CHE annual reports and newsletters; CHE Annual Conferences and National Councils; Executive Committee; campaigning publications; The Saunders Case (1980); Legislation for Lesbian and Gay Rights Conference (1987); Westminster by-election (1977); CHE publications; pamphlets on lesbian and gay rights; lesbian and gay magazines and newsletters; books on lesbian and gay rights in the UK; lesbian and gay rights posters, [1957-2016].
Quantity
14 boxes, 2 posters
