A new lesbian, gay and bisexual alliance group has been heavily criticised for excluding the transgender community, prompting people to label it transphobic.

The “LGB Alliance” group met in London on Tuesday evening, with lawyer Allison Bailey of Garden Court Chambers calling it a “historic moment for the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual movement”.

“Spread the word, gender extremism is about to meet its match,” Bailey tweeted.

The new alliance is formed of previous members of LGBT+ charity Stonewall who have decided to protest against the organisation’s transgender stance.

At the meeting, the group formed of “influential lesbians, gay men and bisexuals” revealed its mission to “counteract the confusion between sex and gender which is now widespread in the public sector and elsewhere”.

Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall Show all 25 1 /25 Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 25. Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy (1984) A song about a young gay man leaving home, accompanied by a video which shows desire, persecution, rejection and ultimate freedom, Jimmy Somerville’s anthem epitomised the experience of generations of gay men. Youtube Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 24. Dana International wins Eurovision (1998) Singer Dana International provided another big moment of visibility for transgender people when she won the competition for Israel with her song “Diva”. Getty Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 23. Angels in America (1991) Tony Kushner’s epic two-part play tackled the Aids crisis in the context of contemporary America and its many ghosts. A profound piece of theatre. Katy Raddatz/Museum of Performance and Design Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 22. Madonna - Vogue (1990) Madonna took voguing from the ballroom culture of New York’s black LGBT scene and repackaged it for a global audience, bringing along some of its best dancers for her iconic music video. Her rap, which name-checks Hollywood screen legends, is one of pop’s campest moments. Sire/Warner Bros. Records Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 21. Paris is Burning (1990) While “Vogue” was for mainstream consumption, the cult documentary Paris Is Burning went behind the scenes of the glamorous ballroom culture, exploring the darker reality of those outcast and stigmatised by a hostile society. Alamy Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 20. Carol and Susan's wedding on Friends (1996) While Friends has often been criticised over its LGBT representation, this was one moment it did get right. Rex Features Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 19. Macklemore - Same Love (2012) As a rap song advocating for same-sex marriage, “Same Love” sends a impactful message of support from a traditionally hostile area of the music world. Youtube Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 18. Britney and Madonna kiss at the VMAs (2003) An obvious and bizarre publicity stunt, but this split-second snog at the MTV VMAs is surely the most famous same-sex kiss of all time. Getty Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 17. The Golden Girls tackle gay marriage (1991) Our beloved Miami foursome weren’t just camp icons – they were ardent LGBT allies. In one much-discussed episode, Blanche is upset that her brother is marrying a man. Sophia gives an impassioned speech, saying: “Everyone wants someone to grow old with – and shouldn’t everyone have that chance?” Alamy Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 16. Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" video (2002) The gay kiss featured in this memorable video was a huge signal to a generation of kids that their feelings were normal, and that individuality was to be celebrated. An LGBT anthem was born. Youtube Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 15. Stephen Fry introduces Grindr on Top Gear (2009) Grindr was brand new when Stephen Fry showed it off to Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, and his estimated global audience of about 350 million. App downloads quickly shot up, and gay hook-up culture was never the same again. BBC Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 14. Ellen DeGeneres comes out (1997) Now the most-high profile lesbian in the world, Ellen took the bull by the horns when she came out in a memorable episode of her sitcom, with a simultaneous cover of Time magazine on which she declared: “Yep, I’m gay.” Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 13. Queer As Folk (1999) Russel T Davies’s groundbreaking Channel 4 series was unapologetic in its portrayal of gay men and their sex lives, and taught a pearl-clutching British public about rimming. Channel 4 Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 12. Moonlight wins Best Picture (2017) A powerful portrayal of a young black man coming to terms with his sexuality, Moonlight broke through barriers for LGBT, black and Muslim representation when it triumphed at the Oscars. Getty Images Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 11. Modern Family (2009) One of the most successful TV shows in the world, Modern Family succeeded in portraying Mitchell and Cameron as parents just as capable of raising (and embarrassing) their daughter as any straight couple. 20th Television Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 10. Boy George on Top of the Pops (1982) When Culture Club appeared on Top of the Pops to perform “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?”, the androgynous look of its colourful frontman threw viewers and the UK tabloids into a spin. BBC Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 9. Lady Gaga - “Born This Way” (2011) Lady Gaga’s love of the LGBT community, and her status as "Mother Monster" for all outcasts, was brilliantly channelled into this mainstream dance hit. In a rebuke to religious inspired homophobia, she delivered the poignant lyric: “I’m beautiful in my way, cos God makes no mistakes.” Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 8. Caitlyn Jenner on Vanity Fair & Laverne Cox on Time (2014, 2015) Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox was the first transgender woman on the cover of Time magazine, while Caitlyn Jenner presented herself for the first time on the cover of Vanity Fair the following year. Transgender people were being seen, understood and appreciated like never before. Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 7. George Michael - Outside (1998) Six months after being spectacularly outed after an incident in a Los Angeles public toilet, George Michael decided to own it, with this number one single, complete with an outrageously tongue-in-cheek video about cruising. Jaw-dropping to this day. Youtube Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 6. Glee (2009) Glee presented high-camp musical numbers and wacky plot lines alongside some of the first openly gay and transgender characters seen within a high school setting. Its impact on a post-millennial generation of kids forging their own queer identities was enormous. Fox Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 5. Brokeback Mountain (2005) Perhaps the most famous LGBT film of all time, Brokeback Mountain was the first to put a gay relationship front and centre in a mainstream Hollywood plot. Focus/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 4. Queen at Live Aid (1985) Freddie Mercury wasn’t open about his sexuality when he stole the show at Live Aid, but he was unmistakably one of our own. His 20-minute tour de force in front of two billion TV viewers goes down in history as the greatest rock performance of all time. Alamy Stock Photo Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 3. Philadelphia (1993) The first mainstream film to portray the HIV/Aids crisis was built on a haunting performance from Tom Hanks and brought an understanding of the issue to millions of cinemagoers. Rex Features Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 2. RuPaul's Drag Race (2009) The show that launched a thousand memes. RuPaul’s incredible popularity is a testament to how widely the show reached out beyond the LGBT community and into the wider public, who have been duly educated about drag culture and the courage of those who take part. Getty Images Top 25 LGBT moments in pop culture since Stonewall 1. Will and Grace (1998) Will and Grace was the first time a sitcom put gay characters front and centre, and delighted audiences with its razor-sharp wit. Joe Biden once said the show “probably did more to educate the American public” on gay issues than anything else. Powerful stuff. Rex Features

The LGB Alliance will be formally launched in January 2020, but hundreds of people have already criticised the group on social media for its perceived anti-trans stance.

On Twitter, the group describes its aim as: "Asserting the right of lesbians, bisexuals and gay men to define themselves as same-sex attracted. Gender is a social construct."

In response to Bailey, one person tweeted: “As a bisexual woman, I am utterly disgusted at your attacks on our trans siblings and your alliance with the religious right. You do not speak for me (or for any of the other queers I know – we’re all equally repulsed by your ideas).”

Another person tweeted that members of the group “should be ashamed” of themselves.

Others sought to deny the existence of an “LGB” movement altogether, with one person tweeting: “There is no LGB movement. Not one that doesn’t stand side by side with trans people. Speaking as a bisexual guy, no less is acceptable, and you definitely don’t speak for me.”

Another person wrote: “You can’t be pro-LGB if you’re anti-T. We are one, together. No ‘LGB Alliance’ will speak for me or any of my friends or colleagues.”

Bev Jackson, a co-founder of the Gay Liberation Front and spokesperson for LGB Alliance, told The Independent: “​We did not, do not, exclude trans people. Several trans people attended the meeting, one as a guest speaker. We are not attacking trans people.

"Our group focuses on sexual orientation. This has become necessary, because lesbians in particular, and recently gay men too, are suffering from the confusion between sex and gender. Lesbians and gay men are people who are attracted to others of the same sex. I fought for their rights to be respected fifty years ago and am sad that I need to defend those rights again today."

Stonewall has been keen to distance itself from the group after reports claimed the charity was “splitting”.

Paul Twocock, Stonewall’s interim CEO said: “There is no truth to reports of Stonewall ‘splitting’, so please ignore the alarmist headlines.