Gay campaigner Nimrod Ping dies aged 46
A gay former councillor well known in Brighton and Hove died on Monday at the age of 46.
Nimrod Ping served for eight years as a councillor at the former Brighton Borough Council (now Brighton and Hove) from 1991. He was twice elected chairman of the planning committee and also the licensing committee.
Thanks to his unusual name, Mr Ping briefly attracted national notoriety after the BBC Radio 2 presenter Terry Wogan used his name as scale to compare other interesting names.
Mr Ping was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in the late 1990s and became seriously ill as a result of liver failure in 2004. Last year, Mr Ping together with other locals living with the condition were photographed for a giant poster displayed in a local shopping centre.
Mr Ping was one of the first Brighton councillors to come out and defected from the Labour party to the Greens in January of this year saying: “When Labour won national power in 1997, we were expecting change, but things have gone the wrong way. They are too right-wing and have an absolute disregard for people’s opinions. The Greens are working to sort out problems rather than create more and I agree with almost everything they say.”
His older brother, Peter Ping told the Argus: “He was the kind of guy who would say ‘Why have a light bulb when you can have a chandelier?’
“He had enormous determination and lust for life. “He would set himself targets and then give himself rewards when he achieved them. He had booked a trip to Australia to reward himself for completing his MA.
“His enthusiasm for life was wonderful. He will be sorely missed.”
Simon Burgess, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, told the Argus: “Council business can be rather dry and Nimrod injected a bit of humour and a fresh perspective.”
