Christians asked to hope as Labour government prepares conversion therapy proposals

The Christian Institute has asked church leaders to place their congregations on ‘prayer alert’ because the Labour government prepares to publish draft laws aimed toward banning so-called conversion therapy. 

A ban was first promised by the Conversvative government under Theresa May in 2018. In the run-up to the election, Labour promised to introduce “a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the liberty for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity”. The proposed ban was included within the King’s Speech in the beginning of this parliamentary session. 

The Scottish government recently shelved its plans to herald a separate ban for Scotland, saying that it desired to avoid a judicial review and would as a substitute back Westminster laws. 

The Christian Institute (CI) said that the U-turn on conversion therapy bans in Scotland, Ireland and Sweden, amongst other places, showed that it was possible to steer politicians of the issues with such proposals. The CI had threatened to hunt a judicial review into the Scottish government’s “deeply repressive” plans.

After years and not using a ban coming into effect within the UK, CI Deputy Director Simon Calvert urged Christians to not be complacent. 

“For several years now there was talk amongst politicians across the UK and Ireland of legislating for a ‘conversion therapy’ ban,” he said. 

“We’ve been fighting them every step of the way in which they usually have found the problem far more complex and riskier than LGBT groups make out.

“The can has been kicked down the road over and over. There is a danger that Christians might stop praying, and stop contacting their politicians. But now is just not the time to take our eye off the ball.”

According to official figures, record numbers of individuals within the UK are applying to alter their legal sex, with 1,397 applications submitted between 2023 and 2024, of which over three quarters were approved. 

Legal advice to the CI from several KCs has concluded that parenting, pastoring and prayer might be criminalised under conversion therapy bans. 

“Whilst every Christian is against the coercion or abuse of gay or trans people, there are long-standing concerns that, somewhat than outlawing abuse, a conversion therapy ban would outlaw harmless discussions inside churches and families over sexuality and gender,” said Mr Calvert.

A prayer movement to stop a conversion therapy ban from coming into force was launched by the CI in October 2021. 

The CI said that a ban was not vital as verbal and physical abuse are already illegal within the UK, and that attempts to introduce a broad law “would put the UK in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights”.

“Nonetheless, activists will proceed to place pressure on the Government to push forward with a ban,” said Mr Calvert.

“We can be very grateful if church leaders would put their churches on ‘prayer alert’ over these issues, and be certain that church members are made aware of essential developments within the areas of sexuality and gender.”