The following document is a timeline of Anti-LGBT & Anti-Trans events and activities by the UK Government / Government-backed public bodies currently under Boris Johnson as PM and Liz Truss as Equalities Minister.
It is a work in progress and will be updated as more information is revealed / additional events occur.
If you have any links / evidence to add, especially around events that are listed but currently unevidenced – feel free to contact me on Twitter.
For our purposes, public bodies with politically appointed heads are considered to be a branch of government, given events and people appointed show that they are in no way independent.
Timeline
May 2019
24th – Boris Johnson becomes PM after Theresa May resigns.
August 2019
8th – Truss meets with US Anti-LGBT Hate Group The Heritage Foundation
Sept 2019
3rd – Boris Johnson poll Transgender Rights as a ‘Culture War’ election issue
10th – Liz Truss appointed as Equalities Minister overseeing Government Equalities Office
30th – Liz Truss and GEO disengage completely from the LGBT Advisory Panel
This has been added retrospectively – this info came to light in May 2021 via the Women and Equalities Select Committee questioning of the LGBT Advisory Panel after it had quit, as detailed in the links below. The exact date this occurred is not known, so I’ve placed it at the end of the month.
November 2019
26th – BBC Newsnight air anti-trans hit piece weaponising detransition against trans people.
(link)(archive)
29th – Johnson, Gove & Truss links with anti-LGBT Heritage Foundation
(link)(archive)
January 2020
8th – BBC publish an article on start of Bell vs Tavistock legal proceedings, including misinformation on Puberty Blockers
(link)(archive)
March 2020
1st – BBC publish anti-trans hit piece weaponising detransition, uncritically platforming Keira Bell and repeating misinformation on Puberty Blockers
(link)(archive)
April 2020
22nd – Lis Truss gives a speech outlining GEO priorities. Speech is full of anti-trans rhetoric around GRA reformGRA Reform Gender Recognition Reform Bill - Scotland https://www.gov.scot/news/gender-recognition-reform-bill/ Published 03 March 2022 09:34 Part of Equality and rights Simplifying how trans people apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate. See Also https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/mermaids-manifesto-for-gra-reform/ https://www.stonewall.org.uk/what-does-uk-government-announcement-gender-recognition-act-mean & preventing healthcare for trans young people
(link)
June 2020
5th – Tory Donor Tim Davie appointed head of BBC.
14th – After 2 years of dithering, results of Gender Recognition Act Consultation are dismissed by PM as ‘skewed’ by an ‘avalanche of responses from trans people (the group affected by the proposed reforms), ignoring a concerted campaign by anti-trans hate groups attempting to skew the results of the consultation. GRA Reform intentions leaked to the Times, with Liz Truss as the prime suspect. Consultation data has yet to be released by the GEO.
19th – BBC Newsnight publishes hit piece on GIDS, perpetuating the myth of ‘fast track’ transition for young people and ‘staff concerns / whistleblowers’ – now known to come from 3 specific individuals who are trans hostile.
(link)(archive)
19th – Government condemned by LGBT+ groups of each UK political party for GRA reform failure and perpetuation of toxic atmosphere for trans people.
(link)
20th – BBC hit piece at LGBT organisations reaction to Government’s lack of GRA reform and assault on trans rights.
(link)
22nd – BBC branded “institutionally transphobic” for biased coverage of GRA reform.
(link)
July 2020
31st – BBC Remove Action Line pages pointing to Gender Identity support groups and charities.
September 2020
22nd – Government announces GRA reforms – or rather the complete lack of them. Price reduced to £5, and process moved online.
(link)(archive)
22nd – BBC publishes article on transgender people on the back of GRA reform announcement, platforming anti-trans campaigners & publishing misinformation around “single sex spaces” – language used exclusively by anti-trans groups.
(link)(archive)
October 2020
1st – BBC publish another hit piece on GIDS, attempting to link an outdated 2005 report to the current service, and continue to perpetuate misinformation around Puberty Blockers.
(link)(archive)
5th – Liz Truss meets with US Anti-LGBT Hate Group The Heritage Foundation again, this time at the Conservative Party Conference.
29th Oct – BBC staff told attending LGBT Pride protests in any capacity can breach new impartiality rules set out by Tory Political Appointee to the BBC Tim Davie, with Tim Davie calling trans people “an issue”
30th Oct – BBC Staff can attend LGBT Pride protests – Tory Political Appointee to the BBC Tim Davie reverses ban – but with conditions
November 2020
19th – School LGBT anti-bullying projects axed by government by GEO
(link)(archive)
December 2020
1st – BBC publish an article perpetuating misinformation around Puberty Blockers, linking it to the upcoming Bell vs Tavistock judicial review.
(link)(archive)
1st – BBC publish the result of the Bell vs Tavistock judicial review. Article uncritically platforms Keira Bell and links previous mininformation around Puberty Blockers.
Note that this ruling was partially reversed in March 2021, which the BBC have yet to reference)
(link)(archive)
February 2021
24th – BBC reject complaints about anti-trans Newsnight coverage, claiming it was impartial despite excluding trans people.
(link)(archive)
25th – Government reverses use of gender neutral language on Maternity Bill, formalises misgendering trans men by calling them “mothers” instead of “people”
(link)(archive)
March 2021
10th & 11th – LGBT Advisory Panel quit over delays on banning Conversion Abuse, GRA Reform failures and creation of a ‘hostile environment’ for trans people.
26th – Good Law Project partial reversal of Bell vs Tavi. BBC have not yet covered this development.
(link)(archive)
April 2021
14th – Boris Johnson writes to the Evangelical Alliance to reassure them they will be excluded from any ban on Conversion Abuse.
20th – Anti-Trans Group LGB Alliance given charity status despite protests from every LGBT charity / organisation.
(link)(archive)
27th – EHRC intervene in Maya Forstater Employment Tribunal Appeal, citing freedom of belief but igoring their own Article 9 rules around manifestation of belief.
(link)(archive)
May 2021
6th – LGB Alliance Founder and Trustee Ann Sinnott loses legal challenge on EHRC EA2010 guidance about trans people. The judge threw the case out noting that ‘The complainant’s interpretation of the Equality Act is wrong in law’ and ‘The Claimant’s argument is an obvious absurdity’. As of today (11/6/21) the trans hostile BBC have yet to cover this case is any capacity.
(link)
15th – Information gleaned from GEO involvement in a judicial review challenging GRA requirements attempts to scapegoat LGBT ally and activist, Dr Michael Brady, as the sole reason GRA reform failed. Subsequent information from both the Women and Equalities Select Committee, Liz Truss and Dr Brady have shown that the GEO appear to have lied in court by misrepresenting the advice given by Dr Brady and signalling him as the reason for GRA Rfeform failure, despite Liz Truss herself stating she had no intention of reforming the GRA.
15th – Government appoint Anti Trans peer Lady Falkner to head the EHRC
17th – Government change building regulations to make single sex toilets compulsory, removing gender neutral toilet facilities.
18th – Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch hauled over coals on equality and Self Determination for Trans people at IDAHot Forum 2021 by Evelyne Paradis, Exec Director at @ILGAILGA A driving force for political, legal and social change for LGBTI https://www.ilga-europe.org
(link)(archive)
18th – Reindorf Report, an ‘independent’ investigation into Essex University’s no platforming of two trans hostile activists. Report attempts to implicate Stonewall as part of the recent attempts to discredit the LGBT Charity over supposed ‘misrepresentation’ of EA2010.
(link)
19th – LGBT Advisory Panel gives evidence to Women and Equalities Select Committee on GRA reform failure, Conversion Abuse failure, Government disengagement with Panel & LGBT Action Plan.
(link)
24th – Government responds to petition demanding legal recognition for Non-Binary people, refuses stating that paperwork is too difficult.
(link)(link)(archive)(petition)
29th – EHRC leaves Stonewall Diversity Champion Scheme, citing cost
25th – At Women & Equalities Select Committee hearing, Liz Truss confirms that opposition to GRA Reform was down to her, refuses to mention trans people, refuses to acknowledge if Evangelical Alliance involved in Safe to Be Me Conference 2022, LGBT Action Plan completely dropped
26th – Liz Truss states in Parliament that the supposedly independent Cass Review on trans healthcare for young people is designed to to stop under 18s transitioning
(video)
28th – Boris Johnson hosts Viktor Orban, homophobic leader of repressive Hungarian regime that removed legal recognition from trans people.
31st – Government Minister Liz Truss leads call for organisations & government to pull out of Stonewall’s Diversity Champion Scheme, targetting UKs biggest LGBT charity for supporting trans people.
June 2021
2nd – A number of LGBT+ charities, including Mermaids, Gendered Intelligence, LGBT Foundation and TransActual, launch legal action against the Charity Commission to challenge the decision to grant LGB Alliance charity status.
(link)(crowdfunder)
2nd – Several Twitter users reveal the Charity Commission are refusing to investigate fully evidenced complaints about conduct of Trans Hostile Group LGB Alliance since being granted charity status.
(link)
3rd – Institute of Race Relations release report exposing links between ‘gender critical’ views, far right groups and ideologies, and the continuing attacks on trans rights in Europe.
(link)
4th – Baroness Emma Nicholson, Conservative Peer and noted high level Trans Hostile Activist, publicly releases minutes of NHS Sex/Gender attribution and Single Sex Hospital Wards Meeting. Minutes indicate repeated misinformation and high level figures actively working against trans people in the UK.
4th – Helen Stephenson, Head of the Charity Commission, revealed to follow a number of trans hostile groups and individuals. While circustantial, this may be an indicator of so called ‘gender critical’ views, and brings into question if Helen Stephenson encouraged the decision to grant Trans Hostile Group LGB Alliance charity status, and whether she has instructed complaints into LGB Alliance to be ignored.
(link)
5th – Conrad Roeber, previously at IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) and author of the ‘independent’ report into media transphobia, becomes a trustee of UK Trans Hostile Activist Group LGB Alliance.
(link)
5th – Akua Reindorf, Author of the Reindorf Report investingating Essex University over freedom of speech issues in ‘no platforming’ external trans hostile activists and attempting to implicate Stonewall as part of the recent targetting of the charity, revealed to be a trans hostile activist.
(link)
7th – UK Government targets The Good Law Project (a not for profit group using legal means to hold government and public bodies to account), makig spurious claims about GLP misusing crowdfunding. GLP has brought to light government corruption in PPE procurement curing the CV19 pandemic, and is also fighting ai number of trans related legal cases.
(link)
8th – Novara Media release results of a survey showing that the majority of the UK population think trans people should be free to determine their own legal gender. The survey shows overwhelming support especially among cisgender women, putting paid to the claim that trans hostile ‘gender critical’ activists speak for all women.
(link)
8th – Trans hostile BBC Radio4 host yet another segment debating trans people, this time under the guise of trying to reinforce the Government and trans hostile activist claims about Stonewall. Trans hostile activist Simon Fanshawe was given free reign to promote misinformation about trans people, but when Ben Cohen, founder and owner of Pink News challenged this, and the fact that once more no trans people were in the discussion, hostile host Justin Webb continually interrupted him, before cutting him off.
(link)
10th – Trans Hostile Activist Maya Forstater wins right to appeal Employment Tribunal case following EHRC intervention. Noteable however that while the judge allowed that so called ‘gender critical’ beliefs could be protected, holding such beliefs did not allow someone to harass or misgender trans people. In contrast to the zero coverage of losing the legal case AEA vs EHRC, the trans hostile BBC have extensively pushed this successful appeal as a ‘win’, despite all it reinforcing the law on mistreatment of trans people and only granting the ability for a 2nd attempt at an employment tribunal.
11th – Government Minister Kemi Badenouch refuses to give evidence to Women & Equalities Select Committee in Gender Recognition Act Enquiry
Authored by Claire / Twitter: @ClaireExists
