UK bank pays almost $17,000 to close Christian Charity account – News Block

A London bank has settled a three-year legal case after caving in to LGBT activists and closing the bank account of a Christian ministry in an alleged case of viewpoint discrimination.

As CBN’s Faithwire reported in 2020, the Core Issues Trust (CIT), a Christian nonprofit organization that supports men and women seeking to voluntarily change their sexual preferences and gender expressions, came under attack by pro-LGBTQ activists in June 2020. this year. It is the only Christian ministry of its kind in the UK and a registered charity.

“A coordinated campaign has resulted in our ministry coming under immense pressure and key service providers terminating their services, which we view as discriminatory,” CIT executive Mike Davidson said in a statement at the time.

Jayne Ozanne, a gay activist leading the anti-CIT effort, accused Davidson of being a “conversion therapy practitioner and promoter.”

For his part, Davidson has rejected claims that he engages in so-called “conversion therapy”. He says that term has been used as a weapon because it is linked to terrible, extremist and outdated practices that were already banned in the UK and elsewhere long ago. He points out that talk therapy is something entirely different from “conversion therapy.”

“The term speaks of talk therapy and counseling as ‘pseudoscience’ in association with these extremes, to be heard defending talk therapy and counseling for unwanted same-sex attractions is taken as a defense of the indefensible label of ‘ conversion therapy,'” Davidson said. “We reject this accusatory term.”

The UK government will ban conversion therapy.

Barclays Bank then notified the CIT and the International Federation for Counseling and Therapeutic Choice (IFTCC) in July 2020 that its banking facilities would be closed, following a coordinated campaign of harassment. Several other companies, such as MailChimp and PayPal, have also taken action against the group. Facebook and Instagram have also removed CIT content from their platforms.

Barclays appeared to have capitulated to demands to cancel the accounts after sustained pressure was brought to bear on the financial institution for providing banking services to Christian groups while also being the main sponsor of London’s Gay Pride parade.

According to UK watchdog Christian Concern, the incident is believed to be a precursor to how activists and institutions will exploit and weaponize the government’s so-called “conversion therapy” ban against anyone who supports the freedom to leave. lifestyles and LGBT identity.

With the support of lawyers from the Christian Legal Center, Davidson filed a lawsuit against the bank with lawyers claiming the closure of the accounts was “an act of unlawful discrimination.” His lawyers argued that the bank had personally discriminated against Davidson, in the sense that his professional and public work was undermined by the termination of CIT and IFTCC banking services on the grounds of his religious beliefs and/or opinion. policy.

During the three-year legal battle, Barclays Bank refused to apologize, reinstate the bank account or give a reason for closing it. The bank also made several attempts to have the case dismissed.

Meanwhile, more than 72,000 people signed a petition asking Barclays to reinstate the account and stop discriminating against the Christian ministry.

Then, just before the case was scheduled to be heard in High Court last week, Barclays made a settlement offer of £21,500 (just over US$16,937) in compensation, including legal fees that Davidson I agree.

“What we see in the Barclays stock is yet another example of Stonewall’s misguided influence to force LGBT ascendancy within our society and its institutions,” Davidson said in a press release. “His agenda will fail, despite the generous support and spending of Barclays, because the freedom of people to decide their own paths or leave useless identities cannot be controlled by bankers, politicians, activists or therapists. It is their God-given right.” .

“The Core Issues Trust and the IFTCC will continue to oppose the government’s mandated sexual identity and its refusal to allow therapeutic choice. We reject Barclays Bank’s implicit ‘conversion therapy’ allegations, targeting our work and charity,” it added.

Andrea Williams, executive director of the Christian Legal Center, said: “This was a campaign orchestrated by LGBT activists targeting a Christian ministry and Barclays bought it.”

“Instead of standing up for free speech, Christian freedom and minority rights, Barclays Bank Plc has given in to the scare tactics of LGBT activists,” it said.

“If banks and other service providers placate hardcore activists by removing bank accounts from good, law-abiding customers who are under attack for their Christian faith, then we are in a very dark place in this country,” he warned. Williams.

In a statement issued to the media, a spokesperson for the bank said: “Barclays today agreed a commercial agreement with Core Issues Trust following our decision to cease acting as their bankers in 2020. This is a commercial agreement, based on our assessment of the costs of defending this claim to its conclusion against the cost of resolving the matter today.”

“Barclays has not admitted any liability and there has been no Court decision challenging Barclays’ actions, including Barclays’ decision to exit its relationship with Core Issues Trust and the IFTCC,” the statement continued.

“Barclays continues to be an advocate for the equality and dignity of all members of society, including the LGBT+ community, and our stance on this matter affirms this position. We will continue to foster understanding of diverse experiences and perspectives, and create a more inclusive in the communities in which we operate,” the statement concluded.

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