The UK government has officially put forward a draft bill proposing a ban on abusive conversion practices in England and Wales. The draft Conversion Practices Bill is trans inclusive, meaning it aims to ban attempts at both changing a person’s gender identity and/or sexuality.

The proposal is expected to be laid before Parliament later today, aiming to give legal protections to LGBTQ+ individuals who are targeted by these practices. According to the official statement from the UK government, “Current legal loopholes leave victims at risk, and new legislation will fill gaps in the law to protect people from abhorrent abuse.”

The bill also seeks to introduce criminal charges for those who practice so-called ‘conversion therapy’ by criminalising the following: “Carrying out abusive conversion practices that cause serious harm, alarm or distress to the victim”, and “encouraging or assisting an abusive conversion practice performed outside England and Wales.”

Those charged with breaking these laws could face up to five years in prison.

 

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Minister for Equalities Olivia Bailey spoke about the draft bill, saying, “Conversion practices are driven by the false belief that being LGBT+ is shameful and can be forcibly changed. Legal loopholes have left LGBT+ people vulnerable to these harmful acts, which is why we must legislate.” 

UK-based LGBTQ+ rights group Stonewall has spoken out in support of the Conversion Practices Bill. CEO Simon Blake stated, “The Government have finally published a draft Bill to ban conversion practices, a historic and long overdue step forward on the journey towards LGBTQ+ equality.”

He continued, “Everyone deserves to feel safe to be themselves and live freely without fear – yet conversion practices have caused lasting harm and suffering to too many LGBTQ+ people across the UK.”

Blake concluded, “No one should be told they have to change who they are, LGBTQ+ people are not broken or in need of ‘fixing’. At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under threat and we’re seeing increased hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community, this draft Bill is crucial in creating a safer and more inclusive future for LGBTQ+ people.”

 

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Activist Jayne Ozanne, who has campaigned for a ban like this for many years, said: “I am delighted and relieved that after eight long years we finally have a draft bill to ban the terrible scourge of conversion practices, which is far more prevalent in our society than many would choose to believe.”

However, she also noted, “The devil as always is in the detail, and I remain concerned as to whether the ban will fully cover ‘praying the gay away’ and the thorny issue of consent.”

This ban was first promised by Theresa May in 2018, a promise later made by many other Prime Ministers, such as Boris Johnson, who called the practice “abhorrent” and Keir Starmer, who stated the Labour Party is “100% against the practice”. The Labour Party further pledged in 2024 to ban the practice in its official manifesto.

Now, two years later, the Conversion Practices Bill is going into pre-legislative scrutiny before it can be considered and voted on by the UK parliament.

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