CANCELED: U.K. rejection of trans citizens dooms global LGBT meeting
The United Kingdom has abandoned its plans to host a global conference in June to promote LGBT rights worldwide after more than 100 organizers and participants joined a boycott of it over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s recent decision to turn a cold shoulder to trans people.
The Guardian and the BBC reported the cancellation.
The fate of the Safe To Be Me: A Global Equality Conference, scheduled in London from June 27 through 29, had been thrown into uncertainty earlier this week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to proceed with a long-promised plan to ban so-called “conversion therapy” but without including trans people in that protection.
In response, at least 100 LGBT activist groups canceled plans to take part in the conference.
Furthermore, today (April 5), Iain Anderson, the U.K.’s advisor on LGBT people at work, resigned from that role, saying that the government was “trying to drive a wedge” between trans and lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Anderson said that he had taken the advisory job “on the basis there’d be a policy for everyone in the LGBT community, but apparently that’s not going to happen”.
For weeks, Johnson had been embroiled in disputes over the rights and status of trans citizens. Last month, The Guardian quoted him saying that “we must recognise when people want to make a transition in their lives that they should be treated with the maximum possible generosity and respect”. But he added that “when it comes to distinguishing between man and woman, the basic facts of biology remain overwhelmingly important”.
Johnson had decided to abandon plans for a ban on “conversion therapy”, a harmful procedure that seeks to change people’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Typical effects of this kind of “therapy” include depression, anxiety, self-hatred and attempts at suicide.
After Johnson’s decision became public, LGBTQ activists protested. Johnson changed course again. A government spokesperson announced late last week that the planned legislation would proceed after all, but would exclude trans people. The proposed ban would apply only to conversion therapy targeting LGB people.
In response, at least 100 LGBT activist groups canceled plans to take part in the conference.
The rejection of the conference wasn’t limited to domestic activists.
“This is a very worrying development from the UK: how can people within the LGBTI community purposefully be left out of a ban on ‘conversion therapy’? How would this have anyone actually believe “It’s #SafeToBeMe”?” tweeted ILGA World, The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. ILGA Europe
EuroPride tweeted: “Our colleagues at Belgrade Pride – the hosts of #EuroPride2022 – have joined us in withdrawing from cooperation with the #SafeToBeMe2022 #SafeToBeMe conference.”
