Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s exclusion of Trans people in the law that would protect them from conversion therapy has caused upset in the UK’s LGBTQ+ community.

It was revealed yesterday, March 31, that the Prime Minister planned to drop the ban altogether, but following major backlash, he u-turned on the decision. The practice will now be banned throughout the UK, with the exception of conversion therapy relating to gender identity.

https://twitter.com/junodawson/status/1509794214212685843

According to PinkNews, Trans people are almost twice as likely to be victims of conversion therapy than their queer counterparts, and therefore they are the ones who are most in need of protection under this ban.

“Promising to protect lesbian, gay and bisexual people while excluding trans people sends an abhorrent message that Trans people are not worthy of the same rights, dignity and safety as their peers,” said Dominic Arnall, chief executive of Just Like Us, a charity for LGBTQ+ youth.

A full statement will follow, but LGBT Foundation condemns the Government’s appalling decision to exclude trans and non-binary people from the ban on ‘conversion therapy’.

This is not a ban. We are all as one or none at all.#LGBWithTheT

— LGBT Foundation (@LGBTfdn) April 1, 2022

“Excluding trans people from these protections could lead directly to an escalation in this damaging practice aimed at trans young people and will certainly impact the mental health and wellbeing of whole generations.”

This news comes just after Jamie Wallis, a Conservative MP in the UK, came out as Trans following anti-Trans jokes made by Johnson in a speech at a political gathering. Johnson Tweeted out in support of Wallis’ bravery, but that support evidently does not extend to protecting Wallis by law.

Sharing this very intimate story would have taken an immense amount of courage. Thank you @JamieWallisMP for your bravery, which will undoubtedly support others.

The Conservative Party I lead will always give you, and everyone else, the love and support you need to be yourself. https://t.co/Y7VjQOMgkO

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 30, 2022

Meanwhile in the UK, the government’s LGBTQ+ ‘Safe To Be Me’ conference is losing sponsors as a result of the government’s track record when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights.

A staggering betrayal of LGBT+ people across England and Wales.

Immediately before hosting their proclaimed "Safe To Be Me" conference.

We can only hope that our progress towards a thorough and comprehensive ban in Scotland will shame them into a U-Turn on this failure. https://t.co/iEUUP3a1VG

— End Conversion Therapy Scotland (@ECTScotland) March 31, 2022

Major benefactors, such as BP and OVO Energy, are pulling out three months ahead of the conference, with some responding to criticism from staff. VICE World News reports that one “employee at a major UK bank threatened to quit their job if bosses went ahead with sponsoring the conference with upwards of £100,000”. The bank took heed of the staff member’s concern and withdrew its funding. Vodafone, Virgin Media and NBC Universal are among other sponsors who have reportedly pulled out of the event.

“This conference is a pinkwashing exercise, nothing more,” said one anonymous source involved in the organisation of ‘Safe To Be Me’.

There is no more explicitly hateful act than Johnson deciding to ban 'conversion therapy' torture EXCEPT for trans people.
There are children and young trans people being put through hell by frightened and ignorant parents and the charlatans, cranks and bigots who prey on them.

— Katherine O'Donnell (@kathy__odonnell) April 1, 2022