Amnesty International used to be a well-respected, global human-rights campaign group. It was founded to support victims of torture and unlawful imprisonment and has for many years done sterling work around the world.
More recently, it has lost its way. Increasingly, the organisation (in whatever legal form it adopts as both a charity and a country-specific company) has stridently argued that women’s rights are less important than those of men who would have us believe they are women. That the rights of lesbians, gays and bisexuals are less important than those of people experiencing gender dysphoria.
And that anyone who speaks up for those rights is – by definition – a hateful bigot who must be challenged, ostracised or worse.
This position was full borne out by the report they issued on 8 July 2026. This named us, alongside many others, as ‘anti-rights’. There was no evidence offered, no prior approach to us nor any understanding of that phrase which does not defame us.
Like other sex-realist groups, we have written to Amnesty demanding they retract the report (letter attached below). They replied with a boilerplate note of ‘regret’ and blaming failure of internal review processes for the publication. Although they ‘regretted’ misogyny, there was no recognition of the homophobia which attacked us and other LGB groups. They have taken the report down and confirmed it will not be republished – but have offered no further apology or redress.
Since then, another report and a training video have come to light. They doesn’t name us but further magnify the ignorant position of Amnesty on these issue.
We are immensely grateful for the support we have received from other groups defamed. Gay Men’s Network helped us with the letter. Others have been filled with solidarity. J K Rowling, whose single sex refuge Beira’s Place was also defamed, has offered help with costs if needed, even to mixed-sex groups like ours. Diolch yn fawr iawn i bawb.
Let us be clear: we are a heterogenous group whose members have a wide range of opinions on matters not directly related to our rights as LGB people. Welsh independence, abortion, immigration, climate change .. just four of the many issues on which LGBA Cymru does *not* have a position. Our members and supporters often do not agree on such matters.
So what? We are here to protect our rights as same-sex attracted people in Wales. To do so is not hate or bigotry. We will continue our work.