Hundreds of religious leaders around the world have declared that LGBT+ people “are a precious part of creation” and called for a global ban on conversion therapy. The government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has funded a conference held Wednesday (16 December) to mark the launch of the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives.

The Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives, organised by the Ozanne Foundation which works with “religious organisations around the world to eliminate discrimination based on sexuality or gender”, aims to provide a voice for religious leaders to “affirm and celebrate the dignity of all, independent of their sexuality, gender expression and gender identity”.

The commission has 21 founding members, including Argentinian lawyer Roberto Manuel Carlés, who has advised the Pope on justice and human rights issues, primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church bishop Mark Strange, the former president of Ireland Dr Mary McAleese and reverend canon Mpho Tutu van Furth, daughter of archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The declaration states:

We come together as senior religious leaders, academics and lay leaders from around the world to affirm the sactity of life and dignity of all.
We affirm that all human beings of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions are a precious part of creation and are part of the natural order.
We affirm that we are all equal under God, whom many call the Divine, and so we are all equal to one another. We therefore call for all to be treated equally under the law.
We recognise with sadness that certain religious teachings have often, throughout the ages, caused and continue to cause deep pain and offence to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex.
We acknowledge, with profound regret, that some of our teachings have created, and continue to create, oppressive systems that fuel intolerance, perpetuate injustice and result in violence. This has led, and continues to lead, to the rejection and alienation of many by their families, their religious groups and cultural communities.
We ask for forgiveness from those whose lives have been damaged and destroyed on the pretext of religious teaching.
We believe that love and compassion should be the basis of faith and that hatred can have no place in religion.
We call on all nations to put an end to criminalisation on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, for violence against LGBT+ people to be condemned and for justice to be done on their behalf.
We call for all attempts to change, suppress or erase a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression – commonly known as “conversion therapy” – to end, and for these harmful practices to be banned.
Finally, we call for an end to the perpetuation of prejudice and stigma and commit to work together to celebrate inclusivity and the extraordinary gift of our diversity.

It is now available for all people of faith to sign, and the commission encourages the public to invite their own faith leaders to sign the declaration.