UK LGBTQ+ conference cancelled over conversion practices furore

Earlier DU thread: Conversion therapy: Ban to go ahead but not cover trans people

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Source: The Guardian

LGBTQ+ conference cancelled over conversion practices furore

Organisations pulled out of Safe to Be Me after government failure to ban conversion practices for transgender people

Aubrey Allegretti and Libby Brooks
Tue 5 Apr 2022 20.31 BST
First published on Tue 5 Apr 2022 17.22 BST

The government’s flagship LGBTQ+ conference is to be cancelled after it fell into disarray with more organisations pulling out and a key government adviser accusing ministers of waging a “woke war”.

With Downing Street under fire for watering down its commitment to ban conversion practices, the Safe to Be Me event due to be hosted in June has now been scrapped.

Iain Anderson, the government’s LGBTQ+ business adviser, said he was “completely shocked” by the decision last week not to press ahead with outlawing practices aimed at those questioning their gender identity.

He suggested Downing Street appeared to be “trying to drive a wedge” between those who are gay or bisexual and those who are transgender.

Anderson said the Safe to Be Me conference should not take place, admitting: “Trust has been eroded.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/05/lgbt-government-adviser-quits-over-conversion-practices-uturn