A top Government equality adviser has resigned from her post blaming Boris Johnson’s administration for creating a “hostile environment” for LGBT people.
Jayne Ozanne, a member of the Government’s LGBT+ Advisory Panel, also said equalities ministers Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch are “ignorant” on key issues, accusing the pair of not understanding LGBT people, and transgender people in particular.
In an interview with ITV, Ms Ozanne, a gay, evangelical Christian, said: “I’ve been increasingly concerned about what is seen to be a hostile environment for LGBT people among this administration.
“Over the years which the advisory panel has met, we’ve seen an increasing lack of engagement and the actions of ministers have frankly been against our advice.”
She said Ms Truss and Ms Badenoch were known in the LGBT+ community as the “ministers for inequality”.
“I don’t believe that they understand LGBT people, particularly trans people,” she said.
“I’ve sat in meetings and I’ve been astonished about how ignorant they are on issues that affect the real lives, particularly of younger people.”
She said the catalyst for her resignation was a debate in Parliament on gay conversion therapy – and appealed to the Prime Minister to understand that the current proposals do not have the confidence of the LGBT community.
Ms Ozanne, who has also resigned as a member of the Conservative Party, said she fears the Government is going backwards on LGBT+ equality.
“There are many who fear that we are going back to the days of Thatcher, the days of Section 28.
“The language that I hear from them is of us being woke, or of being loud lobby groups, and what they don’t seem to understand is the reason we have to shout is because we are hurting, because there are people who are vulnerable who are going unheard and unnoticed.
“I do not believe this Tory government, sadly, have the best wishes of the LGBT community at heart.
“Instead we seem to have a Trumpesque mode of operation where they’re listening to the right-wing evangelicals and those frankly who want to take us back.”
The SNP's Alyn Smith, who yesterday called for the Government to speed up its pledge to ban gay conversion therapy, said this evening: "These revelations are dynamite and give the lie to the warm words but inaction we have seen from Boris Johnson’s Tories.
“I know there are many Tories who deeply do support equality, but action is what counts, not warm words. These stunning revelations from the very heart of the administration should give us all cause for concern.
“The bottom line is I don’t trust Boris Johnson’s government, and this area should be devolved to Holyrood as soon as possible."
READ MORE: Alyn Smith: End cruel gay conversion therapy once and for all
Labour's shadow equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova MP, said: "This Government have prevaricated over banning conversion therapy for far too long, despite their clear promise to do exactly that.
“This is a pattern of behaviour which seeks to dismiss the real impact of the discrimination experienced by so many and takes us back to the days of Thatcher.
“The Government must get on with setting out a clear plan now which will see an end to this inhumane practice that has no place in modern Britain.”
A UK Government spokesman said: “The Government is committed to building a country in which everyone, no matter their sexuality, race or religion, is free to live their lives as they choose.
“We have repeatedly made clear that we will take action to end conversion therapy and we are working to bring forward plans to do so shortly.”
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