The UK government is introducing legislation to ban conversion practices, proposing jail time and unlimited fines for those found guilty of engaging in abusive acts aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. The draft proposals, which follow several government U-turns and the resignation of an advisory panel since the ban was first promised in 2018, aim to protect LGBT individuals from harmful practices.
The government stated that the legislation includes exemptions for legitimate healthcare and sets a high threshold for criminality, ensuring that only abusive acts seeking to change a person's identity will be subject to the law. Dr. Hilary Cass, who authored a report on children's gender identity services, expressed satisfaction with the proposed legislation, noting that it provides a clearer definition of conversion practices and what they are not, while allowing healthcare professionals to perform their duties without fear of litigation.
However, the legislation is expected to face scrutiny from both campaigners who deem it long overdue and from those who have raised concerns about potential unintended consequences. Andrea Minichiello Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, indicated that any legislation could restrict freedom of speech and prayer, potentially creating a chilling effect on therapists and religious leaders who support individuals exploring questions about their sex or gender. Williams stated that genuinely abusive practices are already illegal and that a new ban would target prayer and consensual conversations, asserting that counseling and pastoral rooms should be spaces for full exploration.
Williams also announced plans to launch a legal challenge against any law that bans conversion practices. Conversely, Baptist minister Justin Kennedy shared his experience of undergoing "deliverance therapy" for six years in his early twenties, which he described as an attempt by pastors to pray away his sexuality by blaming past trauma. Kennedy stated that this therapy left him suicidal, causing him to lose his faith and experience shame. He believes a ban is necessary to prevent such harm.
The BBC has learned that pre-legislative scrutiny for the bill is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks and is expected to last approximately three months. Following this period, the bill will undergo several stages of debate and voting in the House of Commons and the House of Lords before it can be enacted into law.