“Proving tricky”

Stories of jurisdictions that have tried and failed to introduce legislation against so-called conversion therapy

• February 2025

Westminster has been trying to produce a legislative ‘ban’ on conversion therapy for over five years. If what is meant by conversion therapy is verbal or physical abuse, then there is already a ban. The problem is that there is no agreed definition. Activists routinely conflate abuses that are criminal under existing law with legitimate, everyday activities which cannot be criminalised, such as conversations between parents and children about sexuality or gender identity. It has proven extremely difficult.

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