In a joint letter addressed to PM Rishi Sunak, celebrities such as Russel Tovey, Alan Cumming, Mae Martin, Munroe Bergdorf, Dr Ranj and many more demand immediate action on Conversion Therapy as the clock runs down on time to legislate on its promise from over 5 years ago. They accuse the UK Government of giving the green light for abusers to continue unhindered and call out the wider failure to protect LGBTQ+ people in the UK from rising hate crimes, lack of access to specialist healthcare and cooling support for the LGBTQ+ inclusive education laws introduced under Boris Johnson’s government.
Conversion therapy – described as unethical, harmful and ineffective practice to change, cure or supress someone’s sexual orientation and gender identity – has been condemned by religious leaders, medical professionals and indeed politicians worldwide and in the UK. Countries such as Canada, New Zeeland, France and Spain have already taken decisive action to legislate for a ban on conversion practices, but the UK Government appears to fail in protecting one of the most vulnerable, instead bidding on spreading divisive and hateful language, playing party-politics and using LGBTQ+ people as political football.
The government’s own National LGBT Survey found that 7% of LGBT respondents had been offered or undergone conversion therapy within medical, psychiatric, psychological, religious, and cultural settings. Behind those numbers are real people experiencing feelings of rejection, fear to life-long trauma and suicidal ideation. Several will have followed through on these ideations.
Robbie de Santos, Director of External Affairs at Stonewall (he/him): “Following conflicting ‘will they, won’t they’ reports it’s obvious that long-term opponents of LGBTQ+ rights are trying to derail these vital protections. The Prime Minister has a choice of pandering to extreme voices or demonstrating his leadership by protecting LGBTQ+ people and standing up to abusers. He has a week to decide whether his government will be on the right side of history and bring forward a full no-loopholes ban on conversion practices in the King’s speech next week.”
Alan Cumming: “It’s not just about banning conversion therapy; it’s about sending a message to young queer people that their government does not believe there’s anything wrong with them, and that they have no need to convert or change. Until conversion therapy is banned, the UK government is sending a message that it is inherently homophobic.”
