Life

Appeal against charity status of LGB Alliance to be heard in 2022

By Conor Clark

23rd December 2021

Trans charity Mermaids confirmed that its appeal against the LGB Alliance will be heard in May 2022.

In April 2021, the Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, confirmed that the organisation had been approved onto the register as their purposes fall within the legal definition of charity.

According to gov.uk, there were “a number of objections to the registration of LGBA as a charity” that the Commission took into careful consideration, including a petition that has garnered over 35,000 signatures.

The LGB Alliance, which rose to prominence in 2020, has continuously used its platform to “assert the rights of lesbians, bisexuals and gay men to define themselves as same-sex attracted” while excluding trans individuals.

In June, Mermaids confirmed that it would appeal the decision to give the group charitable status.

In an announcement on 22 December, it said that the Tribunal has agreed to a hearing.

“This means we, as the main claimant in the case, will have the opportunity to present the full facts as to why LGBA’s activities are not those of a charity,” a statement from Mermaids read.

It continued: “The LGBA wanted a separate hearing to determine whether or not we had what’s called ‘legal standing’ – whether we could bring the claim at all.

“We believe they wanted to close the conversation without having to properly explain themselves.

“We said that this would only have duplicated work in the long-run, and the Tribunal agreed.

“The LGBA will still get to argue that our claim lacks standing, but only as part of the wider hearing.”

In the appeal, Mermaids stated that the LGB Alliance is a group trying to “restrict the legal rights and protections afforded to transgender people” and added that it should have been “refused” charity status.

The hearing will see Mermaids attempt to overturn the decision and “rectify the register of charities to remove LGB Alliance”.

A spokesperson for Mermaids added: “We are pleased that the Tribunal has made the decision that there will be one hearing that deals with everything. We look forward to the hearing where the LGB Alliance will have to explain themselves.

“To be registered as a charity, an organisation must be established exclusively for charitable purposes. LGB Alliance does not stand for LGB rights, but exists to divide our community and denigrate trans people and those who support them.”

The appeal is being supported by organisations such as the Good Law Project, the LGBT+ Consortium, LGBT Foundation, Gendered Intelligence and TransActual. You can make donations to the fundraiser by clicking here.

It will take place in May 2022. You can read the full statement from Mermaids by clicking here.