Conversion therapy bill: Alliance legislation is 'potential trojan horse' putting trans ideology before people - Lynas
Stormont legislation to ban so-called conversion therapy is a “potential Trojan Horse” – which could allow gender activists to push children towards medical interventions and pursue people who don’t agree through the courts, a Christian group has warned.
Peter Lynas, UK director of the Evangelical Alliance, says the proposed law goes much further than similar legislation elsewhere in the UK – and is about “protecting ideology instead of protecting people”.
Alliance deputy leader Eóin Tennyson – who has tabled the proposed law – says conversion practices seek to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity – and involve “deeply damaging and destructive acts”.
Peter Lynas told the News Letter that coercive and abusive conversion practices should be illegal—and they already are.
“This Bill attempts to fill a gap that doesn’t exist and ends up creates new problems.
“It goes much further than proposals elsewhere in the UK and risks criminalising parents, teachers, therapists and others acting in good faith.
“At the same time, it removes the freedom of same-sex attracted and trans people to choose the support they want, raising serious human rights concerns.
“The Bill also blurs the crucial distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity. One is a protected characteristic in law, while the other, gender identity, is a highly disputed concept.
“The bill is a potential Trojan Horse allowing activists to push gender-questioning children towards affirmation and irreversible medical pathways while pursing those who don’t agree with their ideological position.
“This Bill is about protecting ideology instead of protecting people”, he said.
An Alliance spokesperson said it is committed to the ban “to protect LGBTQ+ people from coercion or abuse”.
“This Bill will end these harmful practices, while protecting freedom of thought, religion and expression.
“The idea existing law is sufficient is simply not borne out by the evidence. A targeted ban will close gaps in protection, provide greater legal clarity and make clear these harmful practices have no place in society”, they said.