Gay Police Association

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The Gay Police Association (GPA) was a British police staff association with members in all 52 UK police forces. The GPA was founded in 1990 by Constable James Bradley as LAGPA (Lesbian And Gay Police Association), and represented the needs and interests of gay and bisexual police officers and police staff in the United Kingdom. Other founding officers were Iain Ferguson, Ashley Wilce and Tony Murphy. The founding of the GPA for England and Wales also inspired satellite organisations in Scotland in 1990 and Northern Ireland in 2003.

Following a General Meeting of the national GPA held on 24 February 2014, the membership voted by more than two-thirds majority (in accordance with article 13 of the constitution) to close the national GPA from 1 April 2014. Much of the history regarding the formation of the Association can be found in "Coming Out Of The Blue" a (Cassell, 1993) book by former Metropolitan police officer and founding LAGPA member Marc Burke. The book is an oral history which documents for the first time the experiences of many gay and lesbian police officers in their own words. It was awarded 'Book of the Year' by Gay Times Magazine. The Association changed its name to Gay Police Association (GPA) following a vote of its membership in 2001.

The UK Association ceased to exist in 2014 after its funding was cut as a result of UK Government austerity measures^[1] and a vote taken by the membership, although the GPA had failed to function as a staff support association for several years in advance to this. It was replaced by its successor organisation The National LGBT+ Police network in August 2015. The GPA in Scotland continued as an independent police staff association (similar to the GPA) and receives funding from the Scottish Government. In 2015, GPA Scotland won the Scottish LGBTI Staff Network of the Year Award, the LGBT ICON Community Spirit Award and were finalists in the Pink News LGBT Public Sector Award. In 2016 the GPA Scotland was reformed into the Scottish LGBTI Police Association.

In March 2015 a new group was created, the National LGBT Police Network covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This new group is made up of the existing local police force networks, who work in regions and each elect one person to represent them at a regional and subsequently national level. In 2020 as a result of the annual elections, the first female co-chair was elected in. She works collaboratively with the Network of Women and other associations internally and externally providing a family focus for the Network.