Lives ‘ruined by conversion therapy’ in years since ministers vowed to ban it

The Government, then led by Theresa May, first pledged to ban conversion practices in July 2018.

(Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

Conversion therapy must be banned completely with no “carve-outs”, campaigners have said five years after the Government first promised to end the practice.

Lives have been “ruined” by attempts to “cure” LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people of being themselves, Stonewall said.

The Government, then led by Theresa May, first vowed to ban conversion practices in July 2018.

It has no place in modern Britain

Theresa May in 2018

At the time the then-prime minister described conversion therapy as “abhorrent” and something she was shocked to find out still went on.

She said: “I think it has no place in modern Britain.”

Since then there have been years of delays and U-turns, with the Government saying in January that it would “shortly” publish a draft Bill.

At that stage it pledged to ban conversion therapy for “everyone”, including transgender people.

When the Government initially announced its consultation into the conversion therapy ban, its “universal” proposals were intended to protect all LGBT+ people.

But in March 2022, then-prime minister Boris Johnson dramatically dropped plans for legislation, later defending a decision not to include trans people by saying there were “complexities and sensitivities” to be worked through.

In January this year, Michelle Donelan, then-secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, said ministers recognised the “strength of feeling on the issue of harmful conversion practices”, adding that it was right the issue was tackled “through a dedicated and tailored legislative approach”.

Conversion 'therapy' isn’t therapy, it’s abuse. And we need the UK Government to hold up their promise

Sasha Misra, Stonewall

She described it as a “complex area”, adding that the legislation “must not, through a lack of clarity, harm the growing number of children and young adults experiencing gender-related distress, through inadvertently criminalising or chilling legitimate conversations parents or clinicians may have with their children”.

On Monday, marking the five-year anniversary of the Government’s promise on the ban, campaigners have called for urgent action.

Jayne Ozanne, from the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition, accused the Government of having “tried every trick in the book to delay and frustrate bringing forward this life-saving legislation”.

She added: “One can only conclude that they do not want to protect LGBT+ people and that they are only interested in stoking manufactured ‘culture wars’ at the expense of vulnerable people’s lives. It is all an absolute disgrace, which the British public will find hard to forgive.”

Sasha Misra, associate director of communications Stonewall, said: “Monday 3 July marks half a decade since the UK Government first promised to ban conversion therapy.

“Five years and four prime ministers later and we are still waiting for this ban to come to fruition. In the meantime, lives have continued to be ruined while these damaging attempts to ‘cure’ LGBTQ+ of being themselves remain legal.

“Even now, we are hearing worrying whispers that would leave LGBTQ+ people open to abuse. The ban must not contain loopholes that would enable abuse to continue through the back door, whether it be via the idea that people can ‘consent’ to abuse, exemptions for medical settings, or any other carve-outs.

“Conversion ‘therapy’ isn’t therapy, it’s abuse. And we need the UK Government to hold up their promise. We’re calling on the UK Government to publish the draft Bill immediately and bring forward the final Bill by the King’s Speech in November.”

A spokesperson for the Government’s equality hub said: “This Government is committed to protecting people at risk from conversion practices.

“As part of this we will publish a draft Bill setting out our approach, which will be scrutinised by a Joint Committee of both Houses in this parliamentary session. This will allow for in-depth analysis and challenge to test the policy and drafting and ensure we address any risk of unintended impacts.”