Charity watchdog in talks with anti-trans LGB Alliance after ‘hateful’ bestiality tweet
LGB Alliance’s logo.
The government’s Charity Commission is “engaging” with the LGB Alliance after it breached Twitter rules by comparing LGBT+ inclusion to bestiality.
The anti-trans group gained charitable status earlier this year in spite of fierce objections from multiple LGBT+ charities and a petition signed by more than 44,000 people.
Further concerns were raised last week when the LGB Alliance posted a tweet that violated Twitter’s policy on hateful conduct.
It read: “Adding the + to LGB gives the green light to paraphilias like bestiality – and more – to all be part of one big happy ‘rainbow family’. Wake up policy makers.
“LGB people refuse to be used in your artificial and dangerous argument that we must all be lumped together. #NoToHomophobia.”
The LGBT+ acronym is used to describe all people who fall under the queer umbrella, including the intersex, asexual and aromantic communities.
The LGB Alliance’s offensive tweet has since been deleted and in its place a message says: “This tweet is no longer available because it violated the Twitter rules.”
The Charity Commission, the official regulating body for charities in England and Wales, said it was aware of the issue and is in now talks with the LGB Alliance.
A spokesperson said: “We are aware of concerns about recent social media activity by the LGB Alliance, and are engaging with the charity’s trustees on this matter. We cannot comment further at this time.”
Bev Jackson, co-founder of LGB Alliance, told the Civil Society: “It is never our intention to cause offence but to robustly speak out on issues of concern to LGB people. We believe in free speech and respectful debate and take our responsibilities as a charity very seriously.”
To maintain its charitable status the LGB Alliance must abide by the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016.
The Charity Commission may issue an official warning if it feels the charity has committed a form of misconduct, mismanagement or breach of trust.
LGBT+ charities launch appeal against LGB Alliance
The LGB Alliance claimed to the Charity Commission that its purposes are the protection of human rights and the promotion of equality for LGB people.
But in a March 2020 speech, LGB Alliance director Bev Jackson said: “We’re applying for charitable status and building an organisation to challenge the dominance of those who promote the damaging theory of gender identity.”
The Charity. Commission’s decision to register the LGB Alliance as an official charity is now subject to an appeal lodged by the trans children’s charity Mermaids.
The crowdfunded appeal is backed by the Good Law Project, Gendered Intelligence, TransActual, LGBT+ Consortium and LGBT Foundation. A fundraising page opened in June and has so far raised nearly £65,000 against a target of £80,000.
“Charitable status is for those who serve the public good,” said Jolyon Maugham, director of the Good Law Project.
“Denigrating trans people, attacking those who speak for them, and campaigning to remove legal protections from them is the very opposite of a public good. We do not believe they meet the threshold tests to be registered as a charity.”
Their legal challenge has been filed with the Charity Tribunal and a case management hearing is expected to take place in early September.
