We have reported before the muddled legal situation around attempts to ban “conversion therapy” in the US. The UK government has proposed to put forward to Parliament a bill that would criminalize “abusive” conversion therapy aimed at changing someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. As in the US, some religious groups and therapists worry that any such legislation could inhibit open exploratory conversations to determine whether a patient is really solidified in their identity, or could prevent patients who may wish to change from finding help. The draft legislation aims to protect these interests by specifying that it targets only “abusive acts that seriously harm the victim.” Researchers have documented recent cases of parental coercion, forced prayer or exorcisms, physical abuse, aversion therapy, forced marriages, or subjects being sent out of the country by their families. It is unclear whether these are more common in some immigrant communities. Dr. Hilary Cass, the respected pediatrician who authored a government report recommending caution in medicalizing gender transition for minors, praised the draft “legislation which not only gives a clearer definition of what conversion practices are, compared to previous drafts, but also what they are not.” The proposal is still subject to review by both houses of Parliament and will no doubt occasion vigorous debate in the coming months.
UK Tries to Achieve Balance in Conversion Therapy Bill
