Pride Month: LGBT Charities launch appeal against Charity Commission over controversial group LGB Alliance status

A group of LGBT charities have launched an appeal against the Charity Commission over its decision to make a controversial lesbian, gay and bisexual group a charity.

In April, the LGB Alliance was made a charity after the commission decided the group benefitted the public through its educational and awareness-raising activities about discrimination based on sexual orientation.

On Tuesday, transgender children’s charity Mermaids launched an appeal against the decision at the first tier tribunal, supported by other charities and groups including Stonewall, Gendered Intelligence, and the Good Law Project.

The LGB Alliance has previously said there is a conflict between the rights of LGB people and transgender people.

LGBT Charities launch appeal against Charity Commission over controversial groups status

In court documents seen by the PA news agency, Mermaids argues the commission was wrong to make the LGB Alliance a charity, as it does not offer a positive benefit to the public.

The charities also argue that one of the LGB Alliance’s aims is to oppose changes to the law or lobby government bodies to restrict transgender people’s legal rights and protections.

“In reality, LGB Alliance seeks only to operate for the benefit of lesbian and gay people who are both not transgender and share LGBA’s beliefs,” the charity’s appeal said.

Susie Green, CEO of Mermaids, said: “Mermaids supports trans young people, children and their families who face overwhelming hostility simply because of who they are.

“The work of the LGB Alliance is clearly designed to divide the LGBTQ+ community in an attempt to undermine and isolate trans people.

“Mermaids is proud to stand up for the rights of trans people in court, with the unbreakable support of our LGBTQ+ charity family.”

Following its decision in April, the Charity Commission said the LGB Alliance’s purposes were to “promote equality and diversity and human rights”.

In a statement, the body continued: “It is not the commission’s role to make value judgements about the aims or ideas put forward by any organisation.

“Instead, its role is to decide whether an organisation’s purposes fall within the legal definition of charity.”

The commission added it had “carefully considered” objections it received about registering the LGB Alliance as a charity.

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