Draft Bill for ‘trans-inclusive’ conversion therapy ban pledged in King’s Speech
The Labour Government said it would move to stamp out “abusive” practices with proposed legislation
A draft Bill to introduce a “trans-inclusive” conversion therapy ban has been promised in the King’s Speech.
The Labour Government said it would move to stamp out “abusive” practices with proposed legislation, in line with a pledge from its 2024 election manifesto.
Officials say the ban will be balanced and targeted, so as not to impinge on legitimate healthcare and other forms of support for people exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Ministers reiterated their commitment to outlaw conversion practices last June, saying a ban would be brought forward “within the next nine months,” but it has since been delayed.
The Draft Conversion Practices Bill was included in Wednesday’s King’s Speech, setting out the Government’s legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session.
It will only apply to England and Wales because criminal law is devolved in other UK administrations, and will be published for pre-legislative scrutiny, which officials said was to allow for expert and stakeholder opinion to be sought.
A ban on conversion therapy, which aims to suppress or change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, was first promised in 2018, by former Conservative prime minister Theresa May.
It was later downgraded under Boris Johnson’s leadership to not include transgender people, but the Conservative government under Rishi Sunak said in January 2023 that the conversion therapy ban would be for “everyone”, including transgender people.
This did not come to pass, with the Tories saying legislation around such practices “is a very complex issue, with existing criminal law already offering robust protections”.