1. Home
  2. Resources
  3. Publications
  4. Conversion therapy update

Conversion therapy update

Publication

  • June 2021

The media has created a sense of crisis around conversion therapy and a ban is very likely. The Christian Institute supports protecting people from dangerous medical practices. But activists want prayer, pastoral conversations, preaching and even parenting to be caught. This is a fast-moving issue. This leaflet covers key developments since our previous briefing in November 2020.

References

References

  1. England and Wales
  2. 1Gay Times online, 17 March 2021, see https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/ban-conversion-therapy-co-founder-whats-more-threatening-than-telling-someone-they-will-spend-an-eternity-in-hell/ as at 29 April 2021
  3. 2The Independent online, 20 February 2021, see https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/lgbt-conversion-therapy-ban-mental-health-b1805080.html as at 29 April 2021
  4. 3BBC News online, 16 December 2020, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55263392 as at 29 April 2021
  5. 4The Daily Telegraph, 10 April 2021
  6. 5House of Commons, Hansard, 8 March 2021, col. 49WH
  7. 6Premier Christian News, 12 April 2021, see https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/i-do-not-want-to-see-clergy-and-church-members-criminalised-boris-johnson-offers-assurances-over-conversation-therapy-ban as at 29 April 2021
  8. 7Thomson Reuters Foundation News, 14 April 2021, see https://news.trust.org/item/20210414155540-j6cy8/ as at 29 April 2021
  9. 8Thomson Reuters Foundation News, 15 April 2021, see https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-lgbt-politics-trfn-idUSKBN2C201A as at 29 April 2021; Jayne Ozanne tweet, 19 April 2021, see https://twitter.com/JayneOzanne/status/1384270402252283904 as at 29 April 2021; Pink News, 13 April 2021, see https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/04/13/boris-johnson-conversion-therapy-ban-churches-evangelical-alliance-letter/ as at 29 April 2021
  10. 9House of Lords Written Answers, 9 April 2021, HL14619
  11. 10Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021, The Parliament of Victoria; Parliament of Victoria Hansard, 4 February 2021, page 282
  12. 11Alicia Kearns MP speaking on BBC Radio 4, Faith, Lies and Conversion Therapy, 9 March 2021
  13. N Ireland
  14. 1Northern Ireland Assembly, Official Report, 20 April 2021
  15. 2Gay Times online, 17 March 2021, see https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/ban-conversion-therapy-co-founder-whats-more-threatening-than-telling-someone-they-will-spend-an-eternity-in-hell/ as at 3 June 2021
  16. 3The Independent online, 20 February 2021, see https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/lgbt-conversion-therapy-ban-mental-health-b1805080.html as at 3 June 2021
  17. 4BBC News online, 16 December 2020, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55263392 as at 3 June 2021
  18. 5Human rights implications of proposals to ban “conversion therapy”, Jason Coppel QC, 19 April 2021, see https://christian.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Christian%20Institute%20Conversion%20Therapy%20Advice%20-%20updated.pdf as at 3 June 2021
  19. 6The Daily Telegraph, 10 April 2021
  20. 7Amnesty International UK, Press Release, Northern Ireland: ‘Conversion therapy’ ban must include harmful religious practices, 19 April 2021
  21. 8Northern Ireland Assembly, Official Report, 20 April 2021
  22. 9BBC News online, 20 April 2021, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56802428 as at 3 June 2021
  23. 10Northern Ireland Assembly, Official Report, 20 April 2021
  24. 11Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021, The Parliament of Victoria; Parliament of Victoria Hansard, 4 February 2021, page 282
  25. 12Alicia Kearns MP speaking on BBC Radio 4, Faith, Lies and Conversion Therapy, 9 March 2021
  26. Scotland
  27. 1Scottish Parliament Written Answers, 23 June 2021, S6W-00736
  28. 2Gay Times online, 17 March 2021, see https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/ban-conversion-therapy-co-founder-whats-more-threatening-than-telling-someone-they-will-spend-an-eternity-in-hell/ as at 8 July 2021
  29. 3The Independent online, 20 February 2021, see https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/lgbt-conversion-therapy-ban-mental-health-b1805080.html as at 8 July 2021
  30. 4BBC News online, 16 December 2020, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55263392 as at 8 July 2021
  31. 5Human rights implications of proposals to ban “conversion therapy”, Jason Coppel QC, 19 April 2021, see https://christian.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Christian%20Institute%20Conversion%20Therapy%20Advice%20-%20updated.pdf as at 8 July 2021
  32. 6The Daily Telegraph,, 10 April 2021
  33. 7House of Commons, Hansard, 8 March 2021, col. 49WH
  34. 8Premier Christian News, 12 April 2021, see https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/i-do-not-want-to-see-clergy-and-church-members-criminalised-boris-johnson-offers-assurances-over-conversation-therapy-ban as at 8 July 2021
  35. 9Amnesty International UK, Press Release, Northern Ireland: ‘Conversion therapy’ ban must include harmful religious practices, 19 April 2021
  36. 10Thomson Reuters Foundation News, 15 April 2021, see https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-lgbt-politics-trfn-idUSKBN2C201A as at 8 July 2021; Jayne Ozanne tweet, 19 April 2021, see https://twitter.com/JayneOzanne/status/1384270402252283904 as at 8 July 2021; Pink News, 13 April 2021, see https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/04/13/boris-johnson-conversion-therapy-ban-churches-evangelical-alliance-letter/ as at 8 July 2021
  37. 11Ban Conversion Therapy Northern Ireland Facebook live video, 20 May 2021, see https://www.facebook.com/101372635405045/videos/941253123082795 as at 8 July 2021
  38. 12House of Lords Written Answers, 9 April 2021, HL14619
  39. 13Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021, The Parliament of Victoria; Parliament of Victoria Hansard, 4 February 2021, page 282
  40. 14Alicia Kearns MP speaking on BBC Radio 4, Faith, Lies and Conversion Therapy 9 March 2021

Also see

Related Publications