UK Government blasted for ‘disgraceful’ failure to ban ‘conversion therapy’
"This Tory government clearly cannot be trusted to do the right thing"
Protestors have marked nearly 2,000 days since a ‘conversion therapy’ ban was first promised by delivering 2,000 postcards to the Prime Minister. At the same time, Attitude has spoken to one MP who blasted the government for its “disgraceful” inaction.
Led by Stonewall, members of the public, the Ban Conversion Therapy (BCT) Coalition, LGBTQ personalities, and Parliamentarians delivered the postcards to 10 Downing Street before taking to Parliament Square for a protest on Thursday (14 September).
Protestors created a holiday beach scene in reference to the Prime Minister’s holiday. They also held a giant postcard reading: “Abuse doesn’t take a summer holiday”.
That referenced an ITV report in June that Sunak had received a draft bill to end the horrific practice.
‘Conversion therapy’ is a debunked and outdated practice that seeks to change a person’s sexuality and/or gender identity. The World Health Organization and many health experts and organisations globally have long condemned the practice.
On Thursday protestors also held a minute silence for those who have experienced abuse as a result of ‘conversion therapy’.
Jayne Ozanne, the Chair of the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition, said she was “extremely angry” at the government’s inaction.
“Whilst the Prime Minister has been on his summer break, I fear that many young LGBT+ people will have been sent to summer camps where they will have been subjected to a range of conversion practices, particularly in religious settings,” she continued.
Ozanne went further to deliver a blistering indictment on the government’s position.
“It would seem that this government has no intention of protecting them, which I believe is immoral, and cannot be trusted to deliver on their promises.”
Speaking separately to Attitude, the Labour MP, Nadia Whittome, echoed Ozanne’s thoughts.
“It’s now been five years and four Prime Ministers since the Conservatives pledged to ban conversion therapy.
“With no sign of a Bill and this session of Parliament due to end soon, this Tory government clearly cannot be trusted to do the right thing and keep its promises. It’s disgraceful that LGBTQ+ people are still being denied the most basic protection.”
Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary added that “the continued failure to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’ is another example of the do nothing zombie Conservative Government that is holding Britain back.
The 2,000 postcards represent the nearly 2,000 days that have passed since a ‘conversion therapy’ ban was first promised.
That was in 2018 by the then Prime Minister, Theresa May. In the years since there have been numerous delays.
Last year there was a debacle when plans were temporarily dropped altogether before being picked up after a backlash.
For a while, trans people were going to be excluded from the ‘conversion therapy’ ban. Earlier this year it was reported that they would now be included.
The UK government has declined to comment.