Who we are

We are lesbians, gay men and bisexuals and, in 2019, we formed a group to promote our rights. In 2021, we were delighted to become a charity registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales.

Our founders, Bev Jackson and Kate Harris, are experienced campaigners who have created a climate of hope for LGB people, in the UK and beyond.

Our Chair of Trustees, Eileen Gallagher OBE, is an influential media figure, responsible for television that has shaped popular culture with shows including Footballers’ Wives, Bad Girls and Waterloo Road, and is a recognised change-maker.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Kate Barker, is a writer, strategist and a brand expert.

We make decisions through our eight-person Policy Team and are supported by sub-groups, run by volunteers, to help us with our website, fundraising, IT, event management and marketing. To find out more about our people visit https://lgballiance.org.uk/people/

We support a network of international LGB groups in countries from Iceland to Australia.

Most of us are volunteers and we are largely funded by small donations from members of the public who agree with our aims. Our accounts are published publicly on the Charity Commission website and you can read our latest Annual Report below.

We are independent and not affiliated to any other special interest group or political party. We are non-partisan as an organisation and welcome views from across the political spectrum.

Why we exist

Great strides have been made to enhance the rights of same-sex attracted people over the decades and the UK remains one of the best places in the world to be lesbian, gay or bisexual.

It’s a sad fact that homosexuality remains illegal in 69 countries around the world, many of which are in the Commonwealth.

Now there is a new type of homophobia in the UK that the established LGBTQ+ groups are failing to tackle and, in many cases, are actually making worse.

They promote the idea that gender, the way you feel or dress, is more important than biological sex. As lesbians, gay men and bisexuals whose orientation is sex based, we believe that replacing sex with gender means that we can no longer name or describe the discrimination we face and, therefore, that our hard-won rights can be dismantled.

LGB Alliance believes that biological sex matters, that same-sex attraction is real, and we exist to support, celebrate and champion the very many people who feel the same way.

What we do

We provide information, community and support to LGB people in a world where being lesbian, gay or bisexual is, once again, under threat. We champion free speech. We campaign on issues that affect same-sex attracted people and we highlight and tackle discrimination wherever we see it.

Provide reliable information

We are evidence-based in all we do and produce a wide range of high-quality information in multiple formats.

Visitors to our website can browse easy-to-understand explainers about complex legislation, access copies of important reports such as the Cass Review and keep up-to-speed with significant news stories.

Our downloadable Info Sheets provide reliable overviews of issues, ranging from adoption rights for LGB people, to chemsex and its consequences, blood donation for gay men and global laws against homosexuality. It’s a popular series and we add to it regularly.

We commission our own research and share it widely.

Our survey of supporters asked whether the term LGBTQ+ was an appropriate way to describe our community. The answer, resoundingly, was no. We shared our Don’t Call Me Queer report, with its detailed findings, with our supporters and with policy makers.

Our monthly House of Commons Bulletin provides all MPs with the LGB perspective on significant legislative change and policymaking and includes in-depth analysis of the impact of proposed changes on lesbians, gay men and bisexuals around the country.

The range of our output is significant. Educational and engaging webinars include a pub quiz, a panel discussion on the key issues affecting bisexual people and a scholarly discussion of gay history. We make original films, post copies of our TV interviews and share the content from our National Conference. Those films, webinars and interviews have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on our dedicated YouTube Channel.

Whether we are tweeting to our 80,000+ followers on ‘X’, updating our 7,000+ newsletter subscribers or adding rigorously researched information to our website, our starting point is always evidence and truth.

Bring people together

Many attendeees have told us that our National Conference is the highlight of the year. It’s a fabulous opportunity to get together with hundreds of other lesbians, gay men and bisexuals, from around the UK and beyond, to hear from high-profile speakers, debate the big issues of the day, to share ideas and to build friendships for life.

We’re proud that our Conference is attended by MPs and Peers, and by journalists, lawmakers and politicians from around the world, making our National Conference one of the most significant events in the LGB calendar.

Creating community matters to us. LGB Alliance has established over 25 Friends’ Groups around the country and that number is growing fast. Our vision is of a national network of groups giving all lesbians, gay men and bisexuals the chance to meet and socialise in their own local area. Each group is run by an energetic organiser – they’re hard at work from the Isle of Skye to the South coast of England – who runs activities ranging from club nights, gallery visits, hiking and camping trips, film showings, pub lunches and picnics. A lesson in bell ringing in East London is perhaps the most unusual Friends’ Group activity. So far!

Largely volunteer-run, LGB Alliance is dependent on the commitment, goodwill and expertise of those who would put others first. We’re proud to have been formed and shaped by volunteers and we work hard to make sure that, even as we grow, our volunteers will continue to be at the core of what we do.

Promote free speech

Respectful free speech is the cornerstone of a democratic society and we give voice to the many who have felt that speaking out in defence of LGB rights has become impossibly dangerous. We are courteous but resolute – we will not have our views censored.

Consult on policy

In addition to submitting over 40 detailed responses to consultations to Government departments and UN bodies, we have attended UN webinars to represent our views, held meeetings with Ministers and MPs, MEP, MSPs, peers of all parties, the EHRC, the Police and OFCOM.

Support lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals

We respond to emails and messages from a broad range of people with direct action and support or by connecting them with individuals or organisations that can assist.

Most frequently we receive letters from parents of young people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual and are struggling with being accepted by their peers. In response, we have launched a pilot Helpline for young people aged 13 – 24. This is the only Helpline in the UK run for, and by, same-sex attracted people.

Campaign to tackle discrimination

Our campaigns highlight issues that impact lesbians, gay men and bisexuals and they bring the injustice and discrimination that we face to the attention of the wider public.

We campaign to protect gender non-conforming young people from the scandal of unnecessary, experimental medicalisation.

We helped to ensure that LGB people in Russia, and 16 other countries, are afforded the same right to form partnerships as every other citizen, via the European Court of Human Rights.

We campaigned against Self-ID laws that would prevent lesbians and gay men from meeting in LGB-only space.

We have supported Ugandans who face increasingly hostile laws relating to their sexual orientation.

We will always fight for, and defend, our hard-won rights and we thank all those who continue to stand with us.

How you can help

There are many ways you can support us or get involved

• Invite us to talk to at your event or workplace
• Become a Core Supporter
• Join a Friends Group
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Come to our annual conference
• Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
• Volunteer to work with us
• Support us with a donation