Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 5 of 2023–24
Type: Lords Library Note (LLN-2024-0004) The Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill is a private member’s bill sponsored by Baroness Burt of Solihull (Liberal Democrat). Conversion therapy is a range of practices which seek to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. If passed, this bill would criminalise offering or practicing conversion therapy, defined as practices where the practitioner demonstrates an assumption of a preferable outcome for a person’s orientation or identity.
Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 5 of 2023–24 - House of Lords Library
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Documents to download
Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]
(352 KB
, PDF)
Download full report
Download ‘Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]’ report (352 KB
, PDF)
Supporting documents
Large print briefingConversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]
Large print briefingConversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]
(342 KB
, PDF
)
(342 KB
, PDF)
The
Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]
is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 9 February 2024.
The bill has one substantive clause which would make it an offence to provide or offer any ‘therapy’ which seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Five percent of all respondents to the
National LGBT survey
in 2017 said they had been offered conversion therapy, including 8 percent of transgender respondents. In the bill conversion therapy is defined as “any practice aimed at a person or group of people which demonstrates an assumption that any sexual orientation or gender identity is preferable to another”.
The government has previously committed to banning conversion therapy, but cite complexities including a desire to avoid criminalising exploratory conversations, therapies and religious counselling.
The government first committed to banning conversion therapy in the 2018 ‘
LGBT action plan
’. The government published
three research reports on conversion therapy alongside a consultation
in 2021. The government’s proposals differed in their approach to Baroness Burt’s bill. For example, government proposals suggested talking conversion therapy could continue for consenting adults, and that conversion therapy could be considered as an aggravating factor in sentencing for other crimes. The consultation page notes that the government is currently analysing feedback and has not yet published a formal response.
In December 2023, minister for women and equalities, Kemi Badenoch restated a commitment to produce draft legislation
for scrutiny. Ms Badenoch also said that the situation had developed with young gay and lesbian people experiencing “a new form of conversion therapy” through pressure on professionals to “automatically affirm and medicalise” gender identities.
Related Links
Bill page on the UK Parliament website
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Documents to download
Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]
(352 KB
, PDF)
Download full report
Download ‘Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]’ report (352 KB
, PDF)
Supporting documents
Large print briefingConversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]
Large print briefingConversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]
(342 KB
, PDF
)
(342 KB
, PDF)
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