An LGBTQ+ activist group has criticised a controversial conversion therapy ban that is going ahead.

The Carlisle group Free Radicals United (FRU) criticised the planned nationwide ban for only including gay and bisexual people instead of the whole LGBTQ+ community.

A spokesperson from Free Radicals United said: "Excluding trans people from the ban on conversion torture is nothing short of a direct attack on the trans community.

"This is not a ‘culture war’ as certain political parties like to call it, this is an orchestrated attack on a marginalised and vulnerable group by a political party with the aim of pushing a conservative agenda backed by Christian religious extremists. 

"As long as members of the LGBTQ+ community are being attacked, we will be here fighting back."

They related this to what they perceive as institutional transphobia in Carlisle: "Carlisle City Council still allows transphobic council members to spread hatred of trans people online.

"Jo Ellis-Williams is prolific in attacking trans people on her Twitter feed and John Mallinson has spoken in her support.

"Jo would like you to believe all trans people are sex offenders and sports cheats.

"Jo will tell us this is feminism, we will tell her this is laughable.

"Jo is not only a council member but a school teacher at Trinity School.

"We have had several young people from Trinity approach us because they felt unsafe going to school because of Jo’s views, and others deciding not to take certain sixth form courses to avoid being taught by her.

"Young LGBTQ+ people cannot be safely and productively taught by a transphobe. 

"We asked Jo to meet us to try to understand her views better and so she could listen to ours, but she declined.

"We don’t want to silence Jo, she is free to have an opinion even if it’s hugely harmful to people, but we don’t want people with a prejudice against a minority group making decisions on public matters, nor do we feel that such a person should be teaching young people. 

"Carlisle City Council needs to show where they stand when it comes to LGBTQ+ people and our protection, in particular, why they are allowing council members to spread hatred of our community."

A Carlisle City Council spokesperson said: “We are supportive of all our residents and communities.

"Our members follow our Code of Conduct and if any residents feel that this has been breached they should take the appropriate action and follow our complaints procedure.”

John Mallinson, leader of Carlisle City Council, said that he believes there should also be a conversion therapy ban for trans people, and expects that such a bill is in the pipeline.

Mark Jenkinson, MP for Workington, who has been consistent in his 'gender critical' views, praised the ban for LGB people, and said there is no sense in lumping transgender people in with non-heterosexual people, as being transgender is not a sexual orientation.

He explained that legislating against conversion therapy for trans people could be dangerous, as it would criminalise genuine attempts to address gender dysphoria, which could be more beneficial than encouraging a total transition.

Jo Ellis-Williams was approached for a comment.