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# Equalities Minister, Kemi Badenoch, invited to meet leading LGBTQ+ advocacy groups
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/equalities-minister-kemi-badenoch-invited-to-meet-leading-lgbtq-advocacy-groups/
- Published: 2024-01-09T09:45:09.000Z
- Updated: 2024-01-09T09:45:09.000Z
- Description: Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch MP has received an invitation to meet with leading LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. The invitation, which comes from human rights organisation Peter Tatchell Foundation, is in response to reports that Badenoch has had little or no engagement with most LGBTQ+ organisations, d
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: Kemi Badenoch, LGBTQ, Mermaids, Peter Tatchell, Peter Tatchell Foundation, Stonewall

Equalities Minister **Kemi Badenoch** MP has received [an invitation](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/files/ls/click.pdf) to meet with leading LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.

The invitation, which comes from human rights organisation **Peter Tatchell Foundation**, is in response to reports that Badenoch has had little or no engagement with most LGBTQ+ organisations, despite claiming to have met “extensively’ with “numerous” LGBTQ+ groups.

“Badenoch’s lack of engagement is blamed for faltering government progress on LGBTQ+ rights and declining trust in the Government by many LGBTQ+ people,” said **Peter Tatchell**.

“Badenoch has reportedly never met the trans charity **Mermaids** but has met one-sidedly with trans-critical organisations. There has been a two-year hiatus in meetings with Britain’s leading LGBTQ+ group, **Stonewall**. The Minister should at least listen to a range of viewpoints. The safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ citizens should be the Minister’s goal,” added Mr Tatchell.

The foundation’s letter to Kemi Badenoch, signed by Peter Tatchell, states: “There is a majority consensus among LGBTQ+ people that the Government needs to do more to support trans people, tackle homophobic hate crimes and ban LGBTQ+ conversion practices.

“Regrettably, reported instances of homophobic and transphobic hate crime are on the rise, propelled by often inflammatory, divisive and intolerant rhetoric.

“Under successive **Conservative** governments, the UK’s ranking in the European LGBTQ+ rights league table has fallen from first to 17th place. This is very disturbing and merits urgent rectification. A similar decline in health or education would rightfully be deemed a national disgrace.

“By listening to the perspectives of a range of LGBTQ+ organisations, it will, I hope, help inform you and your policy making, as well as shape your input to the Conservative manifesto for the upcoming general election,” the invitation letter notes.

[**READ the invitation letter to Kemi Badenoch here**](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/files/ls/click.pdf)