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.
