The government’s LGBT+ business adviser has quit his role in protest at the contentious decision to exclude transgender people from a conversion therapy ban.
Iain Anderson, who was appointed to the role in 2021 by the equalities minister, Liz Truss, also accused the government of attempting to wage a “woke war” on the community.
“I was LGBT business champion not LGB or T, and that’s why I’m walking away,” he told ITV News, suggesting ministers were trying to “drive a wedge” among trans and lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
His announcement comes after officials and ministers were blindsided by Boris Johnson’s plan — leaked last week — to U-turn on a pledge to introduce a legislative ban on so-called conversion therapy.
After promoting outrage, No 10 partially backtracked, insisting legislation would be introduced, but only for gay conversion therapy — a discredited practice which seeks to change or suppress an individual’s sexual identity.
“This came as a complete bolt out of the blue. Not just to me but to Liz Truss and the government’s LGBT envoy. It came on the very day of International Transgender Visibility. I was completely shocked,” Mr Anderson added.
Mr Anderson also held a key role in work for the UK’s first global LGBT conference — Safe To Be Me — which is scheduled to take place in June, but is now in doubt over the government’s plans.
Last night it emerged the LGBT+ charity Stonewall and over 100 organisation pulled out of the conference following the U-turn on a trans conversion therapy ban.
The LGBT+ Consortium, an umbrella body for charities working in the UK, said the government’s plans to scrap planned legislation to outlaw conversion practices was “abhorrent”.
In his resignation letter on Tuesday, Mr Anderson said: “It has been the honour of my life to serve as the UKs first-ever LGBT+ business champion. However, I feel I have no choice but to tender my resignation from this role.
“I do this with a very heavy heart. As a young gay man I lived through fear and oppression under the backdrop of Section 28. I could never have dreamt then that a government — any government — would appoint an LGBT+ champion later in my lifetime.
But, he added: “The recent leaking of a plan to drop the government’s flagship legislation protecting LGBT+ people from conversion therapy was devastating. conversion therapy is abhorrent.
“Only hours later to see this plan retracted but briefing take place that trans people would be excluded from the legislation and therefore not have the same immediate protections from this practice was deeply damaging to my work.”
