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LGB Alliance vs. transgender people

LGB Alliance is a British anti-transgender organization. They claim to advocate for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, but their primary goal is to separate those three groups from other sex and gender minorities, especially trans people.

Note: For the similar US anti-trans organization, see LGB United.

Background

LGB Alliance was founded in 2019 to oppose trans-inclusive policies of LGBT rights charity Stonewall and to uphold their belief that”sex is binary” and separate from gender.

They claim these are their goals:

  • “to protect children from harmful, unscientific ideologies that may lead them to believe either their personality or their body is in need of changing.”
  • “rejecting pressure to accept as sexual partners, or admit into lesbian spaces, males who define themselves as women”
  •  to oppose legal gender recognition reform

In 2021 LGB Alliance was controversially granted charitable status in the UK. Trans-inclusive organizations protested this decisions, but a 2022 tribunal found that Mermaids did not have standing to challenge the decision.

Key people

Founders

Officers

  • Malcolm Clark
  • Eileen Rosie Gallagher
  • Dermot Kehoe
  • Conrad Roeber
  • Robert Warren Wintemute
  • Lord Anthony Ian Young

Other involved people

2019 open letter

The signatories claim Stonewall policies “undermine women’s sex-based rights and protections. The most worrying aspect of this is that all primary-school children are now challenged to review their “gender identity” and decide that they may be the opposite sex if they do not embrace outdated gender stereotypes.”

  • Jonathan Best, former director, Queer Up North;
  • Julie Bindel, journalist and feminist campaigner;
  • Gill Butler, former trustee, Stonewall;
  • Beatrix Campbell, writer;
  • Maureen Chadwick, TV & film writer and producer;
  • Stephanie Davies-Arai, director, Transgender Trend;
  • Simon Edge, former editor of Capital Gay and writer for Attitude;
  • Simon Fanshawe, founder, Stonewall;
  • Eileen Gallagher OBE, TV producer;
  • Kath Gotts, composer; Claire Graham, intersex advocate;
  • Jane Harris, author;
  • Kate Harris, former supporter of Stonewall;
  • Bev Jackson, founder, Gay Liberation Front;
  • Darren Johnson, London Assembly member 2000-16;
  • Jane Clare Jones, writer and philosopher;
  • Ann McManus, TV and film scriptwriter;
  • Ann Sinnott, former Labour councillor;
  • Caroline Spry, TV and film producer;
  • Kathleen Stock, philosopher;
  • Helen Watts, former leader, Girlguiding UK;
  • Miranda Yardley, transexual rights activist

References

Hellen, Nicholas (September 22,2019). ‘Anti-women’ trans policy may split Stonewall. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/anti-women-trans-policy-may-split-stonewall-wfv2rp5cx

September 22 2019 Letters to the Editor: Labour tax plan corrodes rule of law

References

Hurst, Greg (24 October 2019). Transgender dispute splits Stonewall. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/transgender-dispute-splits-stonewall-535v3qnb0

Tominey, Camilla (25 December 2020). Lesbians facing ‘extinction’ as transgenderism becomes pervasive, campaigners warn. The Daily Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/12/25/lesbians-facing-extinction-transgenderism-becomes-pervasive/

Marlborough, Conor (16 December 2020). ‘Entirely inappropriate’ to quote LGB Alliance on trans issues, says Ofcom chief. The Scotsman https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/entirely-inappropriate-quote-lgb-alliance-trans-issues-says-ofcom-chief-3069446

arsons, Vic (21 August 2020). LGB Alliance founder defends working with anti-abortion, anti-LGBT+ Heritage Foundation in resurfaced tweets. PinkNews https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/transgender-legal-battle-stonewall-backs-mermaids-against-lgb-alliance-bkbz5ljkq

Ames, Jonathan (2 June 2021). Transgender legal battle: Stonewall backs Mermaids against LGB Alliance. The Times. 

Parsons, Vic (3 June 2021). Heterosexual LGB Alliance founder resigns after failing to ban trans women from women’s spaces. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/06/03/lgb-alliance-director-ann-sinnott-anti-trans-charity/

Parsons, Vic (6 May 2021). Judge throws out LGB Alliance founder’s fight to ban trans women from women’s spaces. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/05/06/lgb-alliance-ann-sinnott-judicial-review-fails-london-high-court-equality-act/

Yalcinkaya, Günseli (25 October 2021). How trans activists and allies disrupted the LGB Alliance Conference. Dazed https://www.dazeddigital.com/politics/article/54577/1/how-trans-activists-and-allies-disrupted-the-lgb-alliance-conference

Parsons, Vic (3 June 2020). Activist instrumental in the launch of the LGB Alliance linked to anti-abortion and anti-LGBT+ hate groups. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/06/03/lgb-alliance-gary-powell-center-bioethics-culture-alliance-defending-freedom-anti-lgbt/

LGB Alliance’s London address leaked as 55 Tufton Street, home of notorious right-wing groups. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/12/19/lgb-alliance-address-55-tufton-street/

Milton, Josh (23 August 2022). LGB Alliance Ireland labelled ‘far right hate group’ in new extremism report. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/08/23/lgb-alliance-far-right-extremist-group-gpahe/

Resources

LGB Alliance (lgballiance.org.uk)

The Distance Magazine (thedistancemag.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company)

GOV.UK (service.gov.uk)