These 125 LGBTQ+ groups are boycotting a government event over its conversion therapy U-turn

More than 100 organisations for LGBTQ+ rights have backed calls to to withdraw from a UK government conference following its transgender conversion therapy U-turn. 

LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall was the first to publicly withdraw from the Safe To Be Me: Global Equality Conference, which was due to take place in London this summer.

It did so because of the government’s decision to exclude trans people from its conversion therapy ban, something the charity described as “callous and unacceptable”.

Following Stonewall’s lead, dozens of organisations have shown support by withdrawing their participation in the global conference, which was set to be the first LGBTQ+ meeting of its kind in London.

It follows government plans to scrap the long-standing conversion therapy ban being leaked last week. 

The news sparked widespread backlash and hours later ministers announced a partial U-turn, recommitting to banning conversion therapy – but excluding trans people from the ban.

“It is apparent that trans people have once again been sacrificed for political gain,” Stonewall said. “Commissioning a separate body of work to unpick something that has already been resolved many times the world over, can only be read as an attempt to kick the issue of protecting trans people into the long grass.”

The LGBTQ+ organisations involved in the withdrawal suggested that they will only reconsider their decision if the prime minister “reverts to his promise for a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy”.

The government said it was “disappointing” to see the groups pull out of the event and said it was “considering how to proceed”.

Here are the 125 LGBTQ+ organisations who have withdrawn from the conference, or spoken out in support of the withdrawal: 

• AKT
• Allsorts Youth Project
• BiPhoria
• Bi Community News
• Bisexual Index
• Biscuit
• Black Trans Alliance
• Blossom LGBT
• Bridlington Pride
• Body Positive Cheshire and North Wales
• Cara Friend
• Carl Austin-Behan (LGBTQ+ Advisor to The Mayor of Greater Manchester)
• Claire’s Transgender Talks
• Charity So Straight
• CliniQ
• Club F.O.D
• Controlling Chemsex
• Consortium
• Cornwall Pride
• Distinction Partner Support
• Diversity Role Models
• Educate and Celebrate
• ELOP
• End Conversion Therapy Scotland
• Equality Network
• Exmouth Pride
• Forward (Stockport LGBT+ Centre CIC)
• Free2B
• Gaydio
• Gaydio Brighton
• Gaysians
• GaySocial
• Gendered Intelligence
• G(end)er Swap
• GIRES
• GiveOut
• Global Network of Rainbow Catholics
• House of Guramayle
• Hidayah
• It’s All About You Wellbeing CIC
• It Gets Better UK
• Just Like Us
• Lancashire LGBT
• Live Through This
• LGBT Bedfordshire
• London Friend
• LGBT Cymru Helpline
• LGBT Foundation
• LGBT HERO
• LGBT Health and Wellbeing
• LGBT History Month
• LGBT+ Sparkle Group Wolverhampton
• LGBT+ Sport Cymru
• LGBT Youth Scotland
• Manchester Pride
• Mermaids
• Mosaic LGBT Young Persons’ Trust
• National LGBT Partnership
• Naz and Matt Foundation
• New Family Social
• Not a Phase
• Oasis Open House
• Oasis TORCH Trans Support Group
• OneBodyOneFaith
• Opening Doors
• OTR Bristol
• OurStory Scotland
• Ozanne Foundation
• Pastoral Council for LGBT+ Catholics Westminster
• Peter Tatchell Foundation
• Pink Saltire
• Pink Therapy
• Proud2Be
• Pride Cymru
• Puppy Pride
• Queer Britain
• QueerFest
• Queer Emporium
• Quest – a support group for LGBT+ Catholics
• Queer Trustees
• RCT Pride
• ReportOUT
• Sarbat Sikhs
• Schools Out UK
• Scottish Trans Alliance
• Sparkle – The National Transgender Charity
• Space Youth Project
• Spectra
• Steph’s Place
• Stonewall Housing
• Swansea MAD
• Switchboard Brighton and Hove
• Terrence Higgins Trust
• The Diversity Trust
• The Intercom Trust
• The Gathering Cardiff
• The Kite Trust
• The Open Minds Project
• The Proud Trust
• The Rainbow Project
• The Tin Wardrobe
• The National Trans Youth Network
• Time for Inclusive Education
• TMSA-UK
• Tonic
• TransActual
• Trans Aid Cymru
• Trans In The City
• Transgender NI
• Trans London
• TransM
• Trans Media Watch
• TransPals
• Trans Radio UK
• Trans Staffordshire
• Transforum Manchester
• TRUK Listens
• TRUK United FC
• UK Black Pride
• UK Pride Organisers Network
• Unique Transgender Network
• Undivided Consultancy
• Umbrella Cymru