Boris Johnson retracts previous stand on LGBT conversion therapy ban
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reshifted his position on conversion practices after news of ministers’ intent to cease pursuit of a ban on such practices received heavy backlash from the public.
Conversion practices, which are methods meant to repress queer sexual orientations and gender identities, have been declared by NHS England along with other major psychological groups in the UK to be unethical and potentially harmful in all their forms.
The Evangelical Alliance, which represents 3,500 churches, believes a ban on conversion therapy may restrict religious freedoms, but many other religious leaders show support for the ban.
Public pushes for the ban on conversion practices
A government spokesperson reported new plans to drop the ban and instead prevent conversion practices through existing laws and other “non-legislative measures” despite prior promises made by Johnson and his predecessor Theresa May to make such practices illegal, and the last Queen’s Speech in 2021 mentioning measures would be taken to ban it.
This announcement was coupled with a leak of a Downing Street briefing paper, titled Conversion Therapy Handling Plan, stating the PM’s agreement to not move forward with legislation to outlaw practices. The leaked briefing also included recommendations to feature the change of plans in the next Queen’s Speech in May and to give “pressures on the cost of living and the crisis in Ukraine” as reasons for the change.
The lack of decisive legislative action against conversion practices sparked an immediate public backlash.
MP Wera Hobhouse, the equalities spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, stated that “conversion therapy should have been banned years ago,” while LGBT+ Conservatives affiliated with the party also shared disappointment and plan to write to the prime minister.
PM “changes his mind” but only for gay conversion therapy, not trans
ITV News UK editor Paul Brand, who also covered the original story, shortly followed up with a tweet on the PM’s u-turn on prior statements due to public reaction to the earlier announcement. Brand reported that the PM had returned to plans to ban conversion therapy and to expect a mention in the Queen’s Speech.
However, legislation reportedly would only cover conversion therapy targeting sexual orientation and not gender identity, leaving trans people vulnerable. This has sparked a new wave of criticism from some MPs and charities.
Jayne Ozanne, a survivor of conversion therapy and prominent advocate against its practices, criticized Johnson in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live for his original backtrack on the ban as well as the exclusion of conversion practices against transgender people in the ban, stating that the PM has betrayed the trust of the LGBT+ community.