The UK Government has cancelled its first-ever international LGBTQ+ ‘Safe to be Me’ conference, following a boycott by more than 100 organisations.
The ‘Safe to be Me’ event will not go ahead as planned this summer after LGBTQ+ charities and other groups pulled out over the government’s stance on conversion therapy; along with the resignation of the country’s LGBT Business Champion Iain Anderson, yesterday.
Anderson said handed in his resignation to the Prime Minister with a “heavy heart” in response to the government’s decision to exclude trans people from the ban on conversion therapy, as reported. Last week, the government announced plans to scrap the ban on conversion therapy, which sparked a furious backlash; so the government did a complete U-turn, saying it would go ahead, but excluded the trans community.
UK LGBT BUSINESS CHAMPION RESIGNATION
In a letter to UK PM Boris Johnson, Anderson stated: “It has been the honour of my life to serve as the UK’s first-ever LGBT+ business champion.” But he said he felt “no choice” but to tender his resignation from the role. He accused the government of “trying to drive a wedge” between the trans and the rest of the LGBTQ+ community; and highlighted that his role was supposed to be LGBTQ+ champion not “the LGB champion.”
“Now – more than ever – we need tolerance and respect in our national conversations,” he added. His resignation comes as many leading organisations dropped out of the government’s Safe To Be Me conference, which was due to take place this summer to coincide with the 50th anniversary of London’s first Pride marches.
The huge disappointment in the government’s stance on the issue is shared by over 100 LGBTQ+ charities and organisations across the UK; including Stonewall, LGBT Foundation, Terrence Higgins Trust, Mermaids, Scottish Trans Alliance, Trans in the City, and Kaleidoscope Trust.
UNACCEPTABLE EXCLUSION
Earlier this week, Stonewall said it was withdrawing its support for the Safe To Be Me conference due to “the Prime Minister’s broken promise on protecting trans people from the harms of conversion therapy.”
“If the UK government cannot stand behind and respect all LGBTQ+ people’s fundamental human rights, it should not be convening an LGBTQ+ rights conference on the global stage,” added Stonewall.
Trans in the City, founded by BP’s Bobbi Pickard, also withdrew its supporting for the government’s Safe To Be Me conference. It also publicly advised its member organisations to “consider the negative portrayal of LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and the effect on their trans and nonbinary employees, that being associated with such an event will bring”; highlighting that, “it is in no way ‘safe to be me’ if you are trans, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming in this country and the UK government is actively worsening this situation.”
The Terrence Higgins Trust described the government’s decision to exclude trans people from the ban on conversion therapy as “completely unacceptable,” adding that, “Trans rights are human rights – progress without or at the expense of trans people is not progress. We stand together and will not be divided.”
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