Queen’s jubilee funding officially withdrawn from anti-trans lobby group LGB Alliance
The LGB Alliance has been branded a ‘hate group’ by LGBTQ+ community leaders. (Getty/ Mark Kerrison)
High-decibel anti-trans group the LGB Alliance has officially lost funding from Arts Council England to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee.
The LGB Alliance announced earlier this month it was to receive the Arts Council England’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund, created by the public body using funds from the National Lottery.
The London Community Foundation (LFC), a charity for London’s grassroots that organisations apply for the grant through, announced amid searing criticism that the fund had been suspended.
But on Wednesday morning (20 April), the LCF said the grant has been withdrawn altogether.
“Following our statement on Monday (11 April) regarding the suspension of the Arts Council England Let’s Create Jubilee Fund grant to LGB Alliance, the London Community Foundation has this week informed LGB Alliance (the applicant) that it is formally withdrawing the grant in question,” the charity tweeted.
“This action has been taken because LCF was not informed of current proceedings in relation to LGB Alliance’s charitable status.”
the London Community Foundation (LCF) has this week informed LGB Alliance (the applicant) that it is formally withdrawing the grant in question. This action has been taken because LCF was not informed of current proceedings in relation to LGB Alliance’s charitable status.
— The London Community Foundation (@London_cf) April 20, 2022
The LGB Alliance is facing a high-profile appeal against the Charity Commission’s decision to register the group as a charity. A tribunal hearing is expected later this year.
An assortment of LGBT+ groups, including trans youth charity Mermaids and legal watchdog the Good Law Project, lodged the appeal against the charity regulator last year.
The Arts Council England was set to hand the LGB Alliance, which campaigns against “the damaging theory of gender identity”, £9,400 to make a film titled Queens – 70 Years of Queer History.
The film was described by the LGB Alliance as “celebrating gay lives and marking 70 years since her majesty the Queen ascended the throne”. Though, the lobbying group had never mentioned the movie before despite a release date in two months time.
Activists protest outside the first annual LGB Alliance conference in October, 2021. (Getty/ Mark Kerrison)
More than 700 awards had been given as part of the Let’s Create Jubilee Fund arranged by Arts Council England, a charity and public body sponsored by the culture department.
In response to the London Community Foundation’s decision to yank its funding, the LGB Alliance claimed that its charity status is not “being questioned“.
The group, which has denied it is transphobic, said in a statement posted to Twitter that it plans to “challenge, rigorously” the foundation’s decision.
The LGB Alliance has been described as a “hate group” for, among other things, comparing LGBT+ inclusion to bestiality, refusing to denounce its neo-Nazi and homophobic support base and defending working with the anti-LGBT+ and anti-abortion Heritage Foundation.
One founder previously denounced LGBT+ clubs in schools, saying they shouldn’t exist because of “predatory gay teachers”.
