Government disbands LGBT advisory panel after resignations
by Aubrey Allegretti, Guardian:
The government’s LGBT advisory panel, which suffered a series of resignations over the delay in banning conversion practices, has been officially disbanded.
Liz Truss, the equalities minister, wrote to the remaining nine serving members to thank them for their service, promising that a replacement panel would be set up. She was told the disbanding would further weaken trust among LGBT people.
The panel was established by Theresa May’s government, and the members’ terms were set to expire on 31 March. However, three panellists resigned last month, including Jayne Ozanne, who describes herself as a “gay evangelical Christian” and who is director of the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT Lives.
She said it was “such a shame” the group was being wound up, and that disbanding it would do “nothing to rebuild trust or reassure [the] LGBT community of their grave concerns”.
“It was a force for good, where the needs of LGBT people could be heard and understood,” she said.
When Ozanne resigned, she accused the government of creating “a hostile environment for LGBT people among this administration” and hit out at an “increasing lack of engagement” with ministers acting “against our advice”.
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