WHO WE ARE

What is the LGBT Advisory Group?
We are a voluntary group of independent lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advisors working with the Metropolitan Police Service at New Scotland Yard. We advise on and monitor police issues that affect LGBT people who live in, work in, study in or are visiting London.

How did the group come about?
After the April 1999 Soho bombings in London, John Grieve, then head of the Racial and Violent Crime Task Force, recognised the need for a lesbian and gay advisory group.

How were members of the group chosen?
A number of LGBT individuals insisted that such a group should reflect the whole LGBT community and not be selected by the police. An ad hoc group put together a process to recruit a wide range of LGBT people to form an advisory group. The initial group of 25 were selected in January 2000 to form the LGBT Advisory Group (LGBT AG). You can read more about the history of the group here.

How is the group funded?
We have a budget from the Met which covers the expenses of members on Advisory Group business. It also enables our members to attend relevant conferences in the UK and within Europe.

Is the group open to new members?
There have been several recruitment rounds as people move on from the group, or away from the London area. The average number of members has been around 24. The latest recruitment round was in late 2005. See the page on how to apply to join us.