Trailblazing activist who helped organise UK’s first Pride march to be awarded honorary doctorate by University of Brighton

The trailblazing activist who helped organise the UK’s first Pride march is to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Brighton today ahead of leading the line at this year's Brighton & Hove Pride march.

Ted Brown, 75, who helped organise the UK’s first Gay Pride march in 1972 before becoming a leading light in the gay and British civil rights movements, will be recognised for his impactful activism and social justice campaigns spanning more than half a century.

Widely credited for inspiring generations to demand better through his tireless advocacy, creative protest, and unwavering resilience, Ted joined the Gay Liberation Front (GLF)  at the age of 20, and campaigned with the group for LGBTQ+ rights. His work with the GLF helped to lay the foundation for what is now Pride in London – a movement of defiance, joy, and solidarity that continues to draw over 1.5 million people annually.

“I never imagined that standing up for who I am and for what I believe in would become what it is today,” said Ted.

Born Theodore York Walker Brown to Jamaican parents in New York, his activism has consistently intersected with issues of race, gender, media bias, and structural injustice. Ted helped stage the now-iconic "kiss-in" protest in London in 1972, publicly confronting the criminalisation of same-sex intimacy.

He later co-founded Black Lesbians and Gays Against Media Homophobia in 1990 as a direct response to the media’s racist and dehumanising treatment of footballer Justin Fashanu, the world’s first openly gay professional player. 

Despite suffering a brutal attack for speaking up, Ted also successfully campaigned against the violent homophobia in reggae artist Buju Banton’s controversial song, Boom Bye Bye, which the singer later publicly disowned and refuses to perform.

Ted said: “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. 

“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, added: “Ted Brown has not just shaped British civil rights history, he has helped to write it. 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.”