Scottish police have handed over thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to a teenage gay and transgender rights group that was once led by a pedophile.
LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS) received more than £3,500 for training – and for 500 'purple button badges' to show solidarity with the gay and trans community.
The badges mark Purple Friday, an 'annual fundraising day when people from across Scotland show their support for LGBTQ+ young people and raise money for our [LGBTYS’s] vital services'.
The Mail revealed in September Children in Need had cut funding for the charity after a row over a 'coming out guide' co-written by a convicted pedophile – while the group's former director sexually abused a little boy .
Last night, Scottish Tory equality spokesperson Tess White said: 'Now that the likes of Children in Need have withdrawn funding from LGBTYS due to the cloud hanging over the charity, many people will question these payouts.
“Promoting inclusivity is vital, but at a time when officers are dangerously underfunded by the SNP government, it is difficult to justify giving scarce resources to a charity embroiled in controversy.”
Police Scotland figures show two payments were made to LGBTYS – £1,750 in 2022/2023 and the same amount in 2020/21, both in relation to 'registration, training and support for the LGBT Charter' – while in 2019/ 20 A further £73.75 was handed over to pay for '500 purple button badges'.
The total financing amounts to €3,573. The force's 'LGBT Allies Toolkit' asks staff and officers to 'evangelize their alliance'. It recommends online resources that say sex falls on a spectrum and that misgendering a person can lead to “very real psychological trauma.”
Scottish police have handed over thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to a teenage gay and transgender rights organization that was once led by a pedophile.
LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS) received more than £3,500 for training – and for 500 'purple button badges' to show solidarity with the gay and trans community. The badges mark Purple Friday, an 'annual fundraising day that people from all over Scotland attend
James Rennie, the former CEO of LGBTYS, is serving a life sentence for sexually abusing a three-month-old child after being convicted of sex abuse charges in 2009 along with seven others.
He was an adviser to the SNP government on child sex issues and had used computers in the LGBTYS offices in Leith to pursue his sordid double life.
Andrew Easton, who co-authored a school guide for the young people's charity, was convicted last year of sharing indecent images of children.
He was never an employee or volunteer with LGBTYS, but in 2009 he was a youth attending services. At that time he helped write the guide.
Gender critical think tank Murray Blackburn Mackenzie said: 'The crucial issue here is that Police Scotland continues its relationship with a controversial organization that promotes policies that put women at risk.'
Dr. Stuart Waiton, senior lecturer in criminology at Abertay University in Dundee, said: 'At a time when there are growing concerns about this politicization of our institutions, the fact that the police are funding this is outrageous.'
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said LGBTYS are a 'key partner… and their work across the country builds trust with many young people'.
LGBTYS said: 'We are pleased to be working with organizations that share our vision and support LGBTQ+ young people in Scotland.'
