Banning Conversion Practices
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Dear Bridget,
We are writing to you about the delay to the Government’s plans to publish a draft Bill to ban conversion practices.
LGBTQ+ people have nothing to be ashamed of; their sexual orientations and gender identities are diverse, and it should be self-evident in 2025 that they do not need ‘fixing’ or ‘curing’.
And yet, as you know, conversion practices still take place in the UK today. A report by Galop in 2023 found that 1 in 5 (18 per cent) LGBT+ people in the UK have been subjected to someone trying to change, ‘cure’ or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity.
A growing number of countries around the world have passed legislation to ban conversion practices, including New Zealand, Canada, Brazil and Germany. The UK used to be a global leader on human rights, but this year the UK dropped 6 places on ILGA-Europe’s rainbow map to an all-time low of 22 out of 49 countries. Urgent action is needed to restore our position on the world stage.
We were pleased to see a commitment to deliver a fully inclusive ban in the 2024 Labour Party manifesto and plans to publish a draft Bill included in last year’s King’s Speech. Several times at the despatch box, and in answer to our written questions, Ministers have reiterated that a draft Bill will be published before the end of this parliamentary session.
We are concerned that time is running out to deliver on this incredibly important commitment.
This comes at a time when many people in the LGBTQ+ community are worried about what the future holds for them. It’s now vital that the Government demonstrate its commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community by delivering on its manifesto commitments. That includes a ban on conversion practices which is fully inclusive, protects all LGBTQ+ people, and has no loopholes that would allow abuse to continue.
Every day without robust legislative protection is another day in which LGBTQ+ people remain vulnerable to abuse that has been internationally recognised as a violation of human rights.
We urge you to publish the draft Bill without delay.
Yours sincerely,
Adrian Ramsay MP co-signed this cross-party letter initiated by Stonewall.
