Why has the UK government still not banned conversion therapy?

Despite promising to put an end to conversion therapy in 2018, the government is dragging its heels. Why the delay?

In 2018, the UK government released a policy paper named LGBT Action Plan 2018: Improving the lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people. Then Minister for Women and Equalities, Penny Mordaunt, expressed in her ministerial foreword her intention to “[bring] forward proposals to end the practice of conversion therapy in the UK.” Two years on, despite claiming that “we are not prepared to stand idly by as harmful practices such as conversion therapy happen in our country,” the government is yet to put an end to the so-called “therapy.”

According to LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, conversion therapy “refers to any form of treatment or psychotherapy which aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or to suppress a person’s gender identity.” All major counselling and psychotherapy bodies, including the NHS, the Royal College of GPs, and The British Psychological Society, have declared conversion therapy dangerous, signing A Memorandum Of Understanding On Conversion Therapy in the UK in 2017. According to Human Rights Campaign, conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide.

The 2018 Action Plan explained that “the abhorrent practice of conversion therapy is still alive in our country,” and that the government would “bring forward proposals to end the practice of conversion therapy in the UK.” It stated that all legislative and non-legislative options would be considered in order to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy. In March 2018, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the practice and encouraged member states to implement a ban. To date, three European countries have banned conversion therapy; Malta in 2016, and Albania and Germany in 2020 (the latter banning the practice for minors under 18, its advertisement, and its use in the case of “force, fraud or pressure.”) Other countries around the world have a variety of case-by-case bans, de facto bans, and state bans; non-European nationwide bans exist in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Fiji, Samoa, Taiwan, and Uruguay.

The government’s reluctance to ban conversion therapy is at odds with public opinion. An online petition to ban the practice has amassed over 225,000 signatures, and 62 per cent of people surveyed by YouGov on behalf of the Ozanne Foundation said that they were in favour of a ban; only 14 per cent said they were not, with the remainder saying that they did not know. What’s more, famous figures such as Elton John, Dua Lipa, Stephen Fry and Charlie XCX have signed an open letter to Liz Truss, Minister for Women and Equalities, urging her to ban the practice. The letter also includes the signatures of representatives from the UK's five major faith groups, LGBTQ+ activists, Labour MPs Ben Bradshaw and Angela Eagle, and Liberal Democrat leadership candidate Layla Moran, who made headlines last year when she spoke about her pansexuality. Moreover, Instagram and Facebook have announced that they will block the promotion of the therapy on their platforms.

On July 3, the UK Parliament Twitter account faced backlash after tweeting (and subsequently removing) a tweet asking people for their thoughts on how conversion therapy affects the LGBTQ+ community. The tweet stated, “Should it be made illegal? What would that mean to you?” The account later tweeted, “We apologise. Our intention was to provide a platform for people to share their opinions on this subject. Clearly we misjudged this and have now deleted the posts.”

However, it now seems that there may be a glimmer of hope. According to The Times, the government is planning “to announce a ban on ‘gay-cure’ therapies in an attempt to placate LGBT people.” It is thought that Liz Truss will announce the ban in July, and that legislation will be put in place later this year or in 2021. That being said, ITV News has stated that it is thought that Cabinet has not yet agreed to the ban, and Parliament’s break for summer next week will further delay progress.

Pi Opinion content does not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial team, Pi Media society, Students’ Union UCL or University College London. We aim to publish opinions from across the student body — if you read anything you would like to respond to, get in touch via email.