Activists react as Conservative government unveils plan to jail people for five years over gay and transgender ‘conversion therapy’

Liz Truss, the Conservative minister for women and equalities, set out the proposals on today, saying they will apply to “therapy which seeks to change people’s sexual orientation or gender identity”.

This has sparked an immediate reaction from Christian groups, and from LGBTQQIA+ campaigners (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and more).

The Christian groups fear it would mean curbing freedom of speech and religion, whilst gender activists have said the proposals do not go far enough.

Over recent years, gender campaigners have increasingly demanded that “conversion therapy” be outlawed, but the definition of such “therapy” is not always clear.

Vocal LGBTQQIA+ activist Jayne Ozanne recently appeared as a guest on a Church of Ireland podcast, and said that praying for people who are gay (“hate prayer” as she termed it) should be included in such a ban.

Indeed, it is not obvious from the government’s own consultation document what exactly it intends to outlaw.

It says: “The government has heard from victims that conversion therapy will often not involve direct physical acts of violence.

“We will therefore also target types of the practice that do not involve physical violence, but which could be reasonably understood as a type of talking conversion therapy.”

However, the government then goes on to add: “We recognise that some believe that an adult cannot consent to non-coercive and non-forced talking conversion therapies even when fully aware of the potential for being harmed; however it is the view of the Government that the freedom for an adult to enter such an arrangement should be protected.”

And elsewhere it states: “To be clear: talking conversion therapy could not be reasonably understood to include communication such as casual conversations, exchanges of views, private prayer or pure speech acts.”

In cases where the practice “seriously harmed the victim – for example, psychiatric injury – the perpetrator could face imprisonment of up to five years”.

The proposals only apply to England and Wales, but nonetheless Peter Lynas – the NI-based Christian campaigner who heads up the advocacy work of the UK Evangelical Alliance – said: “There are concerns about the wording and we will be encouraging members to respond.

“Some campaigners have made clear their desire to see every day Christian practices such as prayer and pastoral care being banned.

“The consultation says it will not include ‘private prayer’ but this generally means individual prayer which offers very little protection.”

On the other side of the debate, Stonewall – arguably the most powerful LGBTQQIA+ lobby grup in the UK – welcomed the move towards criminalisation.

But it added: “There are still concerning loopholes that the UK Government must close, including on prayer and statutory support for victims.

“We also can’t support the proposals if they allow for people to ‘consent’ to conversion therapy.

“A practice that is abusive cannot be consented to.

“If we are to truly put this shameful practice behind us, the ban must not allow for any excuses or any exemptions.”

A consultation on the plans closes at 11.45pm on December 10. To respond, go to this website: shorturl.at/GQC27

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