George Montague: Tributes for ‘oldest gay in the village’ as campaigner dies aged 98

His final poignant words: ‘Everyone please continue your good work for good causes. I shall rest now, Goodbye.’
Twitter

A “heroic” gay rights campaigner often spotted at Pride festivals in his mobility scooter proclaiming himself to be “the oldest gay in the village” has died aged 98.

George Montague campaigned for over 40 years for his apology from the UK Government for being convicted of “indecency”.

His personal Twitter account revealed he had passed away peacefully on Friday March 18 with his husband of 25 years, Somchai Phukkhlai at his bedside.

Mr Montague regularly appeared at Brighton Pride on his rainbow-draped electric wheelchair with a sign on the back reading “the oldest gay in the village”.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell tweeted: “George was a valiant campaigner who made his mark. Hero! I was honoured to know him. Condolences to his husband Somchai.”

In an emotional final post, the campaigner’s personal Twitter said goodbye to his followers, writing: “He thanks everyone who has been supporting his campaigns that he might have helped a little for us to live in a better world.

“Everyone please continue your good works for good causes. I shall rest now, Goodbye.”

In 1974, when he was 50 years old, Montague was convicted of “gross indecency,” an offence under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885.

He had to quit his position at the Cub Scouts looking after disabled children despite “working to the bone for them”.

In 2016 he went to No 10 Downing Street with a petition he got people to sign at Pride marches demanding an apology from the Government for himself and thousands of other gay men convicted of “gross indecency”.

He told Vice News: “When there was talk of Alan Turing being given a pardon, it made me cross, because you don’t give a pardon to an innocent person — only if one is guilty.

“No gay person is guilty of ‘gross indecency,’ but gay men have been persecuted and hunted down and given criminal convictions just for being born only able to fall in love with another man.”

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