A group set up to promote lesbian and gay rights, which has been accused of discriminating against transgender people, is to be allowed onto the register of charities.

The Charity Commission concedes that it received a number of objections regarding the registration of LGB Alliance, which accused the group of excluding transgender people under the 2010 Equality Act.

Other objections focused on accusations that it was political not charitable, has not been formed for the public benefit and “will result in a degree of harm which outweighs the public benefit”.

The regulator says it has considered the objections and decided the group passes its charity status test and has been set up “exclusively” for charitable purposes for the public benefit.

“It is not the Commission’s role to make value judgements about the aims or ideas put forward by any organisation. Instead, its role is to decide whether an organisation’s purposes fall within the legal definition of charity,” said the regulator.

The Commission added that charities can promote the rights of one or more group “but may not do so whilst demeaning or denigrating the rights of others”. This includes social media posts and the regulator has said it will “consider taking regulatory action where that occurs”.

The LGB Alliance team includes former Stonewall volunteer fundraiser Kate Harris, Gay Liberation Front founding member Bev Jackson, documentary producer and director Malcolm Clark and campaigner Ann Sinnott.

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