Why Conversion Therapy Must Be Immediately Banned in the UK
For decades, members of the LGBT+ community have faced practices aimed at suppressing or “changing” their sexual orientation or gender identity. Known as conversion therapy, these practices take many forms—counselling, prayer sessions, pseudo-medical interventions—but they all share the same foundation: the false and damaging belief that being LGBT+ is something that must be “cured.”
Despite overwhelming evidence of the harm conversion therapy causes, the UK has yet to implement a comprehensive ban. Each day that passes without repeal is another day vulnerable people are left unprotected. It is long past time for action.
Conversion Therapy is Psychological Abuse
The term “therapy” is misleading. True therapy supports people in becoming healthier, happier, and more comfortable in their own identities. Conversion practices, on the other hand, seek to erase those identities. Survivors frequently report experiencing trauma, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts as a direct result. Leading medical and psychological organisations—including the NHS, the British Psychological Society, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists—have condemned conversion therapy as unsafe and unethical.
A Human Rights Issue
At its core, conversion therapy is not just bad practice—it’s a violation of basic human rights. Everyone deserves to live free from coercion, free from psychological harm, and free to embrace who they are without fear. Denying LGBT+ people that freedom by subjecting them to practices designed to invalidate their existence breaches the principles of dignity and equality enshrined in both UK law and international human rights conventions.
The Cost of Delay
The UK government has repeatedly promised a ban, yet delays and watered-down proposals mean countless LGBT+ people remain at risk. Without clear legal protections, organisations and individuals continue to exploit vulnerable people, particularly young people in religious or conservative environments. Every delay sends a dangerous message: that LGBT+ lives and wellbeing are negotiable.
What a Real Ban Must Look Like
A meaningful repeal of conversion therapy must:
Cover all forms of conversion practices, whether religious, psychological, or medical.
Protect trans and non-binary people, who are too often excluded from discussions despite being disproportionately targeted.
Apply to both adults and minors, since consent cannot legitimise practices that are inherently abusive.
Include enforcement mechanisms, ensuring that those who carry out these practices are held accountable.
The UK Cannot Afford Half-Measures
Many other countries—including Canada, France, Germany, and New Zealand—have already banned conversion therapy outright. By failing to act decisively, the UK risks falling behind on human rights protections. More importantly, it continues to fail the very people it claims to protect.
The message to policymakers must be clear: there is no safe version of conversion therapy. There is no justification for delay. It must be banned now.
✅ Ending conversion therapy is not just a matter of policy—it is a matter of protecting lives, dignity, and the right of every LGBT+ person to exist without fear of being told they need to change who they are.
