In this year’s Queen’s Speech – a statement made annually at the State Opening of Parliament to outline the legislative priorities for the next parliamentary year – a promise was once again made to “ban conversion therapy”.
However, government briefing notes on the speech revealed that this year the ban has been significantly diluted. The government now intends to only: “Ban conversion therapy practices intended to change sexual orientation” and that even this will only be banned to a limited extent, as adults will be able to ‘consent’ to the practice.
Andi Herring, CEO and Co-Founder of LCR Pride Foundation, said: “In 2018 the then Prime Minister, Teresa May, vowed to eradicate ‘abhorrent’ conversion practices. Yet more than four years later the LGBT+ community is not only still waiting for the ban to be enshrined in law, it is also facing a significantly watered-down ‘ban’.
“A ‘ban’ that excludes Trans people and allows exemptions where an adult ‘consents’ to a conversion practice is not a ban and it will not protect LGBT+ people from these abusive and harmful practices. Conversion therapy and practices are an abuse of human rights and no-one can consent to abuse.
“Internationally, all recent bans of conversion therapy have protected Trans people as well as LGB+ people. The UK government is playing politics with LGBT+ peoples’ lives and we will not accept this.
“There is no conversion therapy ‘ban’ if it provides exceptions that allow these practices to continue. There is no conversion therapy ‘ban’ if it excludes our Trans siblings. We urge everyone to take action now and write to your local MP to demand a ban that protects all LGBT+ people from this horrific form of abuse.”
Find out how to write to your MP here: https://www.banconversiontherapy.com/
You can also show your support online by downloading this image and using the hashtag #BanConversionTherapy to share why you support an inclusive ban.
