The LGBT + Consortium, an umbrella organization for charities working in the UK, said the government’s plans to repeal legislation designed to ban conversion practices were “disgusting”. The group added that it supported Stonewall’s decision to withdraw support for the government’s “Safe To Be Me: Global Equality Conference”, which was due to take place later this summer in London. A statement from Stonewall said, “We’s saddened by the Prime Minister’s failure to protect trans people from the ills of conversion therapy. We regret withdrawing Stonewall’s support for the UK Government’s Safe To Be Me conference. . “We will only be able to participate if the Prime Minister reiterates his promise of a comprehensive ban on conversion therapy. “This is a decision we make with a heavy heart. As the first LGBT + global conference in the UK, Safe To Be Me should be a time to redouble efforts worldwide to improve the rights and experiences of LGBTQ + people. “This is why we have been working hard with the government and civil society organizations in recent months to try to make the conference a success. “However, the plans that were leaked last week, which revealed that Number 10 was planning to lift the ban on conversion therapy, left us with no choice but to withdraw our support. “It is appalling that the Prime Minister was so carelessly leaving four years of promises to the LGBTQ + community and we can not in good conscience support Safe To Be Me at a time when our community’s confidence in the UK Government has been shaken.” . The flagship event could now be threatened as the statement was supported by dozens of other LGBTQ charities. The number of withdrawals was sparked by the government’s announcement that the ban on conversion therapy would not be extended to trans people. The escalation of the controversy began when a Downing Street newsletter seen by ITV News reported that “the prime minister has agreed that we should not legislate” to ban conversion therapy. However, within hours of the announcement, the government was forced to make a big turnaround after Boris Johnson is said to have “changed his mind” after seeing the negative reaction to the previous announcement. Government law will now ban gay conversion therapy, but Downing Street said the same practice for trans people would remain legal. Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested that the government’s shift to conversion therapy was a way to distract people from the cost-of-living crisis. He said: “The government just has to keep its promises. “But look, let’s be honest and clear about what is happening today – the government is trying to get us all to talk about conversion therapy because it does not want to focus on the cost of living crisis, on rising energy bills, where they have such a pathetic answer. “So it’s wrong, the government has to keep its promises. “But, you know, this is the classic Conservative, trying to get a little bit of people’s attention here, when it really comes down to the cost of living and energy prices.”
