LGB Alliance’s charity status is currently under threat in legal action brought by Mermaids UK. The arguments for and against will be heard in court from today, the 9th September 2022.

LGB Alliance’s charity status has always been a controversial matter. In fact, it is one of very few charity statuses that have had to come with a letter explaining the decision from the Charity Commission themselves.

The letter remarked on the controversial positions of LGB Alliance and some of their less than savoury takes on social media. The commission allowed LGB Alliance’s charity status to happen as long as they cleaned up their act and followed the strict guidelines.

The legal action is brought by Mermaids UK and supported by a coalition of organisations including Good Law Project, Consortium, LGBT Foundation, Gendered Intelligence and Trans Actual. Their website says: “The case is a complex one, but we believe we have a strong case. Win or lose, our community is united and we are proud to be standing up against transphobia in all forms.”

LGB Alliance recently found themselves in trouble with The Fundraising Regulator who found the charity were misleading people. They did so by claiming they are the only charity set up in order to protect lesbian, gay and bisexual rights – a claim which is simply not true.

LGB Alliance agreed to apologise to the complainant.

LGB Alliance have also cropped up in various legal cases surrounding the anti-trans movement. Most notably being during Allison Bailey’s recent employment tribunal. The criminal barrister was complained faced backlash via social media which reached her chambers after she helped set up LGB Alliance. Her chambers tweeted about this which was found to be discriminatory.

Bailey also tried to prove that this discrimination was indirectly discrimination against her for being a woman and a lesbian. Her evidence was the testimony of groups such as LGB Alliance and Fair Play For Women; who failed to prove the idea that “women are more likely to be gender critical”.

LGB Alliance also found itself in the news after video footage emerged of comedian Jen Ives being harassed at their conference, while staff and security watch and do nothing to stop it. After being told she was making it up Jen Ives reports feeling “vindicated” that the video evidence is exactly as horrific as she described.

The current tribunal is set to run until 16th September and we likely won’t have a judgment until sometime after that. However we are wishing Mermaids et al luck, primarily because it will be highkey embarrassing for the charity commission when we all get to say “I told you so” after this.

 

 

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