The British Government’s upcoming global LGBT conference has been threatened by many groups pulling out to protest the country’s failure to act against conversion practices.
Over 120 groups so far have withdrawn from the conference, set to be held in June in London.
The Government claimed last year that it would ban anti-LGBTIQA+ conversion practices.
However, it has failed to act, and now the Government has announced it will not legislate a ban on transphobic conversion practices, Pink News has reported.
Safe To Be Me: A Global Equalities Conference is set to be London’s “first-ever global LGBT conference”, but groups have begun withdrawing over the country’s failure to protect trans people.
At least 120 of the top LGBTIQA+ and HIV advocacy groups in Britain have pulled out of the conference, including Stonewall and the Terrence Higgins Trust.
They have jointly announced that they will not participate in the conference unless the Government bans all forms of conversion practices.
LGBTIQA+ sector umbrella group Consortium said that the organisations stood in solidarity and that excluding protection for trans people was “unacceptable”.
“The UK Government’s own data shows that trans people are more likely to be subjected to so-called conversion therapy, with data showing even higher risk for Black trans people,” the group said.
A Government spokesperson claimed that banning transphobic conversion practices would be too “complex” and said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was “disappointed” over the protest action.
“It is disappointing to see partners withdraw from an international conference focused on the fundamental human rights issues facing LGBT people around the world and which provides a global platform to create positive change,” the spokesperson said.
They said that the Government was “considering how to proceed”.
According to the Government Equalities Office, at least 4% of trans respondents said they had undergone conversion therapy, and almost one in 10 had been offered it.
pinkadvocate.wordpress.com 