UK publishes draft conversion therapy ban with 'health care' exemption
On 25 June the UK government published a draft bill to ban conversion therapy across England and Wales, saying the law would apply to LGBT+ people and propose penalties of up to five years' imprisonment and unlimited fines. The draft labels the measure trans-inclusive but creates a broad "health care services" exemption and sets a high threshold that a practice must "fall far below the standards reasonably expected of a person in their position" to count as conversion therapy. Campaigners and trans-rights groups warn that the exemption could let NHS clinicians, private practitioners, and religious counsellors continue coercive counselling of trans and gay people and plan to push for amendments during parliamentary scrutiny.
Even if the bill becomes law - and given Labour has chosen to publish it as a draft this must be doubtful - I doubt it will protect even one trans person from abuse. Yet another savage betrayal of Labour's Manifesto commitments to trans people and those who love them.
Jolyon Maugham KC67Some people making the very good point that the drafters of the Bill made a positive decision to class gender affirming care as a conversion practice despite the fact that, eg, the World Health Organization (www.who.int/standards/cl...) recommends it.
MayaScientist33If this bill becomes law in it's current form, the only purpose it will serve is to provide people with a manual on how to engage in legal conversion practices. Just say you're trying to help someone's mental health and you can do it for gay people too.
Sammi Narramore3I’m glad you’ve brought up the manifesto. Labour seems to have gone from “conversion therapy is abuse” to banning only “abusive” conversion therapy. A shift which might allow some forms of conversion therapy to continue
Today Bridget Phillipson made a Freudian slip, she said she is banning conversion therapy “once and for all”. Sounds harmless? Not if you consider the religious exemptions she’ll almost certainly sneak into the bill. It’s all about preventing a more effective ban.
Ashleeee 🌊🪭32I’m not sure what kind of weed got her and Stonewall so stoned that she is beaming uncontrollably like the Cheshire Cat in the clip. Literally no one in the actual community approves this.
Ghost of Hope 🏳️⚧️19Is it just me that's terrified by what she means by trans-inclusive?
Natacha18From what I recall the exemptions basically cover; 1. Anyone who wants to do CT. 2. At any place where CT can be carried out. 3. On any victim they think they should do CT to. Not so much a ban as an instruction manual.
Slice of Fox17She also said ‘these’ immediately after referring to trans people. Which the suspicious person might think is saying she’s ban trans people (again as she’s already done that in schools and public)
nadiawithaboringj.bsky.social4She's a sociopath. I know you cant diagnosis like this,but,my god,theres literally nothing behind those eyes ever is there...
To no ones suprise the draft bill on conversion therapy excludes the NHS. We know the NHS subjects kids to endless talk therapy. When you build a law with loopholes like this it becomes impossible to truly enforce. I wonder what trans orgs were in the room to draft this, I bet none- just stonewall
Lyra 💕23We need a solid outline here for what counts as "far below" the standard of care, as I understand it the NHS would be marking their own homework on this and setting the standard to apply to all areas. If that then this seems far more likely to ban affirming care than endless speech therapy abuse
Holly Brigstocke5NHS gender psychs stayed out of GRA discussions claiming that would have been "political" when we all know they didn't care and it was jobs for the boys. If the NHS had genuine expertise and no abuse scandals to hide they would be challenging the loopholes in the conversion therapy ban bill.
NevereverDave.bsky.social3Platinum standard here! Enact that simple wording & leave it for criminal practitioners to pay heavily to defend themselves. It should be deterrent enough I hope, to self cauterise the practice. #Starmer & #Streeting in hock to lobbyists. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4... bsky.app/profile/helr...
