Conversion therapy ban proposals are revived

After a short-lived delay, a conversion therapy ban now looks set to be pushed through the commons. The Government confirmed its plans in the wake of a failed attempt to amend the Online Safety Bill, which had raised concerns that online evangelism could be banned.

A draft bill is expected to be published shortly, but pre-legislative scrutiny could be limited. The culture secretary Michelle Donelan said it would be completed by the end of this parliamentary term, despite acknowledging that it is a complex area. The government said a ban would also cover conversion therapy for those who are transgender.

The authors of the Greater Love Declaration, which affirms Christian teaching on marriage, sex and identity and has been signed by more than 1,500 UK church leaders, have written to Rishi Sunak and equalities minister Kemi Badenoch warning that the legislation is ‘likely to criminalise innocent parents, teachers and church leaders’.

Matthew Roberts, one of the authors, said: ‘Christians firmly reject any attempt to coerce or abuse, as it defies Christian teaching at the most basic level. We are grateful that this is already illegal.

‘Instead, many of those demanding this legislation are pushing a narrative that traditional orthodox Christian beliefs are harmful. They have made clear they are unwilling to accept a new law which does not criminalise ordinary believers and Christian leaders … The Government has said that it wants to protect religious freedom. That is a very welcome aim. But we remain unconvinced that the Government can avoid unintended consequences in the passage of this Bill.’

Those pushing for an extreme ban on conversion practices include Alicia Kearns MP who tabled an amendment to the Online Safety Bill in January, which would have treated as harmful any material ‘which advertises or promotes the practice of so-called conversion practices of LGBTQ+ individuals’. The amendment had strong cross-party support including several committee chairs, but it has been dropped.*

Simon Calvert from the Christian Institute said: ‘It is possible to protect LGBT people from harm without attacking innocent religious practices. Kearns’ [now dropped] amendment, due to its vagueness and careless drafting, does attack innocent religious practices.'

* This online article was updated on 21/2/23 and corrects the news item headlined 'Law may have "devastating effect" on church freedom' printed in the March issue and published online, which did not say that the amendment has in fact been dropped. We are sorry for any confusion this has caused.