More than 370 religious leaders around the world have signed a new declaration which seeks forgiveness for religious teachings that have harmed LGBT people, calls for an end to the criminalisation of people on the grounds of sexual orientation, and urges a ban on so-called “conversion therapy”. The declaration “Declaring the Sanctity of Life and the Dignity of All” was due to be launched on Wednesday at a one-day conference at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), by a new group, the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives. After it was announced that London would moved to Tier 3 restrictions on Wednesday, the conference was moved online: it can be watched here. The Commission’s director is Jayne Ozanne, a lay member of the General Synod, and its co-chairs are the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd Paul Bayes, and Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, a former Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism. The declaration says that people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions “are a precious part of creation and are part of the natural order”; it also affirms that, since “all are equal under God”, all should be “treated equally under the law”. The declaration goes on to say that “certain religious teachings” cause “deep pain and offence” to LGBT people. They have, furthermore, “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.”