Why we need a Conversion Therapy Ban
Trans Inclusive Conversion Therapy Ban to be Debated In Parliament
Dr Aidan Kelly
Last week we spoke to the Mirror about the proposed trans inclusive ban on conversion therapy, which is once again up for debate in Parliament.
We know from the government’s UK-wide LGBT Survey from 2018 that conversion therapy is still being practiced in the UK today, not only with the aim of changing someone’s sexual orientation, but also their gender identity. We also know that conversion therapy, in addition to being abusive, does not work. It is no secret that psychotherapy and related disciplines have a chequered past when it comes to working with LGBTQ+ individuals. We need to learn from those mistakes and do better, rather than repeating them and causing more harm. A ban on so-called conversion therapy would send a clear signal that we acknowledge the harm caused by the practice and anyone continuing to operate in this manner is acting unlawfully.
While we acknowledge that a ban will not undo the harm caused to those who have been subject to the practice, it might offer some sense of validation that their identity, as something that is as innate as eye colour, is not something of which they need to be “cured”. A ban may also go some way towards ending the discriminatory approach to trans identities and the notion that the preferred outcome of therapy is a cis outcome. The reality is that trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming identities are just as valid as being cisgender.
It is important to note that we don’t believe a ban on conversion therapy in isolation will bring the practice to a complete stop. However, it will send a clear signal to those who are labouring under the misapprehension that it is an ethical option, that it is anything but. This is an essential step in protecting LGBTQ+ people. The danger, of course, associated with any ban is that it might drive the practice underground. This is why any ban should be accompanied by an education campaign around why it has come into force, coupled with an increase in representation of those impacted so that people understand that gender diversity can be just as positive, valuable and ordinary an experience as any binary gender.
Sadly LGBTQ+, and issues relating to trans people in particular, have become a political football in recent years with the use of inflammatory language by politicians, a tactic which merely serves to further marginalise gender diverse people, becoming all too common. This has to stop. In our work as signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a ban on Conversion Therapy, we have met with politicians across the political parties that have expressed their deep concerns and unease with how long this has taken to put in place. Indeed, Angela Raynor attended the Pink News awards late last year and made a public commitment that Labour would ban conversion therapy and that that ban would include trans people. We are hopeful that they will take the necessary steps and if they fail to do so, that they will be held accountable.
To hear more about our position on conversion therapy you can catch me and the team discussing the subject over on our YouTube channel. The episode is also available as a podcast.
