Gay conversion therapy is a practice that tries to change a person's sexual identity or orientation. This practice has been banned in many countries and back in 2018, Theresa May announced the government’s plans to ban it too. It has now been 4 years and Johnson has been backtracking.
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Banning gay conversion therapy
Back in 2021, during the Queen’s speech for the Opening of Parliament, Her Majesty announced the Government’s plans to ban gay conversion therapy. Two years later and Prime Minister Boris Johnson had planned on abandoning the project.
Documents had been leaked by ITV that the government had plans of abandoning banning gay conversion therapy. Naturally, this information received major backlash, forcing Johnson to make a u-turn.
Boris Johnson tried to find a loophole in banning conversion therapy. He wanted to ‘proceed by reviewing how existing law can be deployed more effectively’ as well as explore ‘other non-legislative measures’ to prevent conversion therapy.
After receiving major backlash, Johnson has moved forward with plans on banning gay conversion therapy. However, his plan is only for cisgender members of the LGBTQ+ community. Conversion therapy will still be allowed for trans people.
🚨 U-TURN ON THE U-TURN 🚨
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) March 31, 2022
The Prime Minister has changed his mind off the back of the reaction to our report and he WILL now ban conversion therapy after all.
Senior Govt source absolutely assures me it’ll be in Queen’s Speech.
But only gay conversion therapy, not trans.
Read more:
⋙ Trans rights: Scottish census allows transgender people to choose their sex
⋙ LGBTQIA: Nottingham school slammed for displaying transphobia
⋙ The Queen has announced plans to ban conversion therapy
‘It’s not a real ban’
After announcing that the ban on conversion therapy will only apply to cisgender people, Johnson is still receiving major backlash from charities and other MP.
The Rainbow Project, a charity for the LGBTQ+ community, said that this ban that excludes trans people is ‘not a real ban’.
Labour MP Nadia Whittome tweeted:
Boris Johnson has U-turned again after the strength of feeling and will ban conversion therapy for cisgender lesbian, gay and bisexual people but not trans people. It's still not good enough. LGB comes with the T, and the Tories are not on our side.
