A long-promised Bill to ban conversion therapy is set to be announced by the Government within days, according to reports.
ITV News revealed the legislation, which will ban attempts to alter a person’s sexuality or gender identity, will be confirmed this week after nearly five years of delays.
The Bill was first promised under Theresa May in 2018 and again by Boris Johnson ahead of the 2019 election, but has faced a series of delays and U-turns.
Mr Johnson was reported to have ditched the planned Bill altogether last year, before an outcry from Tory MPs forced him to revive it. Officials then said the Bill would only ban attempts to “cure” gay, bisexual and lesbian people but exclude transgender people, before Liz Truss’s short stint as prime minister saw no progress at all made on this front.
Now, Rishi Sunak appears to have gone back to the original pledge made by Mrs May, and will seek to cover both gender identity and sexual orientation with the legislation.
It is thought the level of support from within the Conservative Party and across the political divide led to the decision – with Tory rebels threatening to side with Labour on amendments if the Bill proceeded without transgender people included.
ITV reports that the Bill is now being steered directly from Downing Street, rather than via Equalities Minister, Kemi Badenoch, who LGBT+ campaigners have previously criticised for “pushing anti-LGBT rhetoric” and referring to trans women as “men”.
A spokesperson for the Government’s Equality Hub, part of the Cabinet Office, told i: “The Government remains committed to banning conversion practices in this country. In order to ensure the ban is as effective as possible, we are currently analysing the responses to our consultation. We will set out our next steps in due course.”
However, it is not yet known whether the new law will apply to conversion therapy that individuals consent to.
LGBT+ organisations and campaigners have warned that any plans to allow conversion therapy in instances where a person seemingly agrees to undergo the practice would risk creating a “loophole of consent” and leave people at risk of harm.
It is also yet to be confirmed whether the ban will apply to religious practices or to over-18s.
Jayne Ozanne, a former government equalities adviser and a conversion therapy ban campaigner, welcomed news that “after five years of waiting, the LGBT+ community is going to get the protections needed to ensure those who conduct these harmful practices will face the full weight of the law”.
However, she warned that “the devil as always will be in the detail”, questioning whether there will be “loopholes for consent and religion”.
Labour MP Chris Bryant said the news was “good” if the law is “true and comprehensive”.
Keir Starmer has pledged to introduce a complete ban on conversion therapy if elected, which suggests a ban could still be implemented if Labour wins the next election before the Bill clears Parliament.
A 2021 report found that transgender and non-binary people who are subjected to conversion therapy experience an increase in suicidal ideation.
i has contacted Downing Street for comment.
