370 religious leaders unite to demand for gay and gender conversion therapy ban
Signatories include South African cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Anglican Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Pexels
Over 370 religious leaders across 35 countries have signed a declaration calling for an end to LGBTQ inequality and violence while demanding a ban on conversion therapy.
The scientifically debunked practice involves trying to ‘cure’ people of their sexuality and gender identity.
Signatories include South African cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Anglican Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes and former Chief Rabbi of Ireland David Rosen.
Senior faith leaders from around the world unite to condemn violence & discrimination against LGBT people & call for a global ban on conversion therapy.
Join them in signing their Global Declaration & ask your religious leader to sign too! https://t.co/Nk4yUPiajx #GICLGBT #LGBT pic.twitter.com/rA8vICQbEk
— Ozanne Foundation (@OzanneFoundn) December 16, 2020
The declaration is to be launched at a conference sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth and development Office today.
“Unite to condemn violence & discrimination against LGBT people”
The Ozanne Foundation, which organised the declaration, tweeted today: “Senior faith leaders from around the world unite to condemn violence & discrimination against LGBT people & call for a global ban on conversion therapy.”
Rt Revd Paul Bayes said in an accompanying video: “We come together as senior religious leaders, academics and lay leaders from around the world, to affirm the sanctity of life and the dignity of all.”
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to ban “abhorrent” conversion therapy in the UK. However, his predecessor Theresa May made similar promises in 2018 and there has been no movement on the issue.
This week, a 44-year-old gay man claiming he was subjected to electric shock treatment by a psychologist at the University of Birmingham in the 70s demanded an apology from the institution.
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