Personal Life
Tatchell was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was a lathe operator and his mother worked in a biscuit factory. His parents divorced when he was four and his mother remarried soon afterwards. Because the family finances were strained by medical bills, he had to leave school at 16 in 1968 and started work as a sign-writer and window-dresser in department stores in Melbourne. Tatchell has said that he has incorporated the theatricality of these displays into his political activism. Raised as a Christian, Tatchell says that he "ditched faith a long time ago" and is an atheist.
In Australia became interested in outdoor adventurous activities such as surfing and mountain climbing. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Any Questions on insurance and legal risks making British teachers unwilling to take pupils on outdoor adventures, he said his outdoor activities helped him develop the courage to be a political risk-taker in adult life.
Read more about this topic: Peter Tatchell
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