A proposed “dangerous” conversion therapy bill would create a “thought crime,” Tory peers have warned.
On Friday the House of Lords discussed a Private Member’s Bill tabled by Liberal Democrat Baroness Burt of Solihull that would make it an offence in the UK for any person to practise, or to offer to practise, conversion therapy linked to sexual orientation and gender identity.
She said in a statement that her bill “seeks to be as comprehensive as possible, to make sure that all LGBT+ people are protected and no loopholes can persist. And it will focus on the intended purpose of the practice - ensuring that genuine psychological or religious support without a predetermined goal isn’t caught up in a ban.”
‘Dangerous Piece of Legislation’
However, the bill drew the ire of Conservative peers who claimed it would limit the ability of parents, teachers, psychiatrists, and religious practitioners from discussing matters with children and others.Conservative former minister Lord Forsyth of Drumlean said he had “never seen a more badly drafted or dangerous piece of legislation” in his 40 years in Parliament.
Lord Forsyth said the bill allows for unlimited fines for those convicted, while a separate proposal in Scotland could result in jail time, adding, “The world has gone mad.”
He said: “It seems to me we normally, in this House, introduce legislation in order to fix a problem, not create new ones, and this [bill] undermines the family, attacks free speech, freedom of thought, and even religious belief.
“It is a dangerous, crude piece of legislation in a hugely complex and controversial area which is not suited to private legislation.
“It has all the characteristics of something written on the back of a beer mat after an unruly discussion in a pub. I very much oppose it.”
‘Abhorrent’
Crossbench peer Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green, a former chief executive of the LGBT lobby group Stonewall, said: “We need clarity on exactly what constitutes conversion practices and what doesn’t. In similar legislation across the world, the law states explicitly what is to be included and what is excluded; our legislation must do the same.“We may not immediately agree on where conversion practices begin and end, but given since 2017 that three consecutive Conservative prime ministers have all stated that conversion practices are abhorrent, I’m hopeful we can confirm this position.”
Women and equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has previously insisted a ban on conversion therapy was “needed,” though the Conservative Party is reportedly split down the middle on the subject and has changed course numerous times.
In 2018 then-Prime Minister Theresa May promised to end the practice of conversion therapy but she was later replaced by Boris Johnson who, in 2020, reiterated the plan to forbid it, only to backtrack and rule out including therapies which targeted people who identify as transgender.
‘Already Illegal’
Last year, MP Miriam Cates wrote in The Telegraph that a ban could result in a “series of dreadful unintended consequences.”Ms. Cates wrote: “Canadian parents who want to seek help for children experiencing distress about their gender could now risk prosecution and jail sentences. In Victoria, Australia, it is now a criminal offence for a parent to refuse a child’s request for puberty blockers or ‘gender-affirming’ care.”
In her article, she said such legislation was unnecessary.
“The sorts of things that people think of as ‘gay conversion therapy’ include electric shock treatment and physical abuse, appalling practices that were shamefully and indefensibly used against homosexuals in the past. But these abuses are, thankfully, already illegal through existing legislation that covers sexual abuse, coercion, and grievous bodily harm,” she added.
