LGB Alliance wins appeal against charitable status

Doyle Clayton client, LGB Alliance, has won an appeal against its registration as a charity.

The appeal was lodged in 2021 by another charity, Mermaids, and necessitated two years of litigation, and a seven-day hearing split between September and November 2022.

The judgment, given earlier this month, found that Mermaids had never had standing to bring the appeal in the first place, and therefore LGB Alliance remains on the register of charities.

A comment from Doyle Clayton

Peter Daly, a partner at Doyle Clayton, commented,

“We are pleased that the Tribunal has agreed with our primary case that Mermaids never had standing to bring this appeal in the first place. Our clients have been put through two years of stressful and unnecessary litigation. We look forward to them now being able to put this behind them and turn their full attentions towards their important charitable work in support of lesbian, gay and bisexual people.”

LGB Alliance Chief Executive Kate Barker said,

"In a free society we must be free to disagree, and we hold fiercely to that view.

“We are relieved that this long, and sometimes bruising, process has reached an end and we thank all of our wonderful supporters and our brilliant legal team.

“As to our detractors...They tried to run us ragged. They failed. We're happy that now the work goes on."

Peter Daly, and Doyle Clayton senior associate Amara Ahmad acted for LGB Alliance, instructing Karon Monaghan KC and Akua Reindorf KC.

Further information

Press coverage

Sonia Sodha, the Observer: There's No Law Says a Charity Can't Hold Views You Disagree With. Even on Gender-Identity Issues

Janice Turner, the Times: Lesbian Tribunal Win Is Good News For Us All

Joanna Cherry KC MP, The National: The story of the LGB Alliance should concern us all

Michael Foran, The Critic: Why Mermaids Lost

BBC: Trans Charity Mermaids Loses Challenge Against LGB Alliance

The Guardian: Trans Charity Mermaids Fails To Have Charitable Status Stripped from LGB Alliance

Daily Mail: Trans charity Mermaids LOSES bid to strip gay rights charity LGB Alliance of its charitable status

Spiked Online: Why the LGB Alliance Had To Win

Independent: Transgender group loses challenge over gay rights charity’s status

Third Sector: Mermaids loses landmark challenge over gay rights charity’s status