Police Scotland has spent more than £3,500 of taxpayers’ money on training courses and purple badges from a charity previously led by a convicted paedophile.
The force made multiple payments to LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS), a gay and transgender rights group for teenagers, for training and support services.
The spending included funding for 500 “purple button badges” meant to show solidarity with the gay and trans community during Purple Friday, an annual fundraising event.
The payments have drawn scrutiny following Children in Need’s recent decision to withdraw funding from LGBTYS amid controversies surrounding the organisation.
Police Scotland has spent more than £3,500 of taxpayers’ money on training courses and purple badges from a charity previously led by a convicted paedophile (stock image)
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Police Scotland figures reveal two separate payments of £1,750 to LGBTYS, made in 2022/2023 and 2020/21.
These payments were specifically for “registration, training & support for LGBT Charter”.
An additional £73.75 was spent in 2019/20 to purchase “500 purple button badges”.
The force’s ‘LGBT Allies Toolkit’ instructs staff and officers to “evangelise their allyship”.
The toolkit recommends online resources that describe sex as being on a spectrum and warn that misgendering can cause “very real psychological trauma”.
The total funding provided by Police Scotland to LGBTYS amounts to £3,573.
James Rennie, former chief executive of LGBTYS, is currently serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting a three-month-old baby.
Rennie was convicted in 2009 alongside seven others on sex abuse charges and had used LGBTYS office computers in Leith while leading a double life.
He had previously served as an SNP Government adviser on child sex issues.
Further controversy emerged when Andrew Easton, who co-authored a schools guide for the charity, was convicted last year of sharing indecent images of children.
Easton was never employed by LGBTYS but had attended its services as a young person in 2009, when he helped write the guide.
Scottish Conservative equalities spokesman Tess White criticised the payments, stating: “With the likes of Children in Need having pulled funding from LGBTYS because of the cloud hanging over the charity, many people will question these payouts.”
The force made multiple payments to LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS), a gay and transgender rights group for teenagers, for training and support services (Stock)
PA
White added that while fostering inclusivity is vital, providing scarce resources to a controversial charity is difficult to justify given police underfunding.
Gender-critical think-tank Murray Blackburn Mackenzie warned that Police Scotland is “continuing its relationship with a controversial organisation that promotes policies that put women at risk.”
Dr Stuart Waiton, senior lecturer in criminology at Abertay University, called the police funding “scandalous” amid growing concerns about institutional politicisation.
A Police Scotland spokesman defended the partnership, stating LGBTYS is a “key partner… and their work across the country builds confidence with many young people”.
In response to the controversy, LGBTYS said: “We are pleased to work with organisations who share our vision and support LGBTQ+ young people in Scotland.”
