By Gavin Mackintosh-
A public consultation will be opened before a ban on so-called conversion therapy, the UK government has announced.
The government previously announced plans to impose a ban on the imposition of conversion therapy, but has paused to first consult on the matter.
It will now consider religious freedom and protecting professionals, including therapists. The matter could become messy once consultation begins because of the various strong religious views of opposition to gay practices.
Many religious leaders have lost their voice on important matters like this because of the widespread hypocrisy in the Church at all levels, especially the Catholic Church , and including the Church Of England and Evangelicals, all of whom have had serious skeletons in their closets exposed in recent years.
That has not quenched opposing voices against the ban from threatening any process of legalising prohibition of the practise.
Last December, over 370 religious leaders from around the world are calling for a ban on conversion therapy – the attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The signatories to the declaration represent all the world’s major faiths and many are known LGBT advocates.
They included South African cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Chief Rabbi of Ireland David Rosen.
A discuss/debate scheduled to be included at a meeting among members of The Eye Of Media.Com and thinktank members this morning was initially postponed due to limited time after other topics consumed all of the allocated 4 hours spent .
An internal order was later made for the topic not to be discussed on phone between team members until all parties are together to discuss the matter. Lawyers are usually consulted for insight on hot topics discussed, either in person, phone , or via zoom.
Meetings on certain topics is to decide on which topics we should have one voice, and on which topics, a variety of opinions should be allowed
Change Of Sexual Orientation
A document signed by a number of leading health groups defined conversion therapy as the attempt to change sexual orientation or gender identity.
The proposed ban in England and Wales was announced in the Queen’s Speech.
Advocates of the ban are eager to see it imposed, but the government is being careful not to run into legal conflict with religious groups who may try to battle such a ban legally in the courts.
In practice, conversion therapy means trying to stop or suppress someone from being gay, or from living as a different gender to their sex recorded at birth,
A number of health organisations and patient groups signed a document in 2017 warning all forms of conversion therapy were “unethical and potentially harmful”.
The practice can take many forms, some of which – like “corrective” rape – are already illegal.
In 2018, Theresa May’s government promised to end conversion therapy as part of its LGBT equality plan.
Last summer, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said plans for a ban would be brought forward.
But it has emerged that a “short” consultation will be held before the legislation is finalised, asking the public and interested parties how best to address the problem.
The ban is set to include both sexuality and gender identity.
The government also wants “legitimate forms of pastoral support” to be allowed to continue.
In April, Mr Johnson wrote to the Evangelical Alliance, which represents 3,500 churches, to reassure the group that adults will still be able to “receive appropriate pastoral support (including prayer)… in the exploration of their sexual orientation or gender identity”.
Peter Lynas, the group’s UK director, said it welcomed the consultation process.
“We want to avoid the situation were a person can be accused of conversion therapy for praying with someone who freely chooses and asks for prayer,” he said.
Degrading
Jayne Ozanne, a former government equality adviser who was subjected to conversion therapy, says religious practices must be included in the ban.
“They have consulted long enough, now it is time to act and bring forward legislation that protects everyone from this inhumane and degrading abuse,” she said.
Stonewall’s chief executive Nancy Kelley said a “full and comprehensive bill” must look to ban conversion practices “in all forms and in all settings”.
A government source said: “This will do exactly what we promised to do – banning LGBT conversion therapy in legislation and stamping out the last vestiges of this heinous practice.”
About 5% of the 108,000 people who responded to a 2018 LGBT government survey said they had been offered some form of conversion therapy, while 2% had undergone it.
More than half said it was conducted by a faith group, while one in five received it from healthcare professionals.
The ban will apply to England and Wales, and a support fund for victims of the practice will also be made available. Northern Ireland has passed a non-binding motion calling for a ban on gay conversion therapy “in all its forms”.
The Scottish government “fully supports moves by the UK government to end conversion therapy”, a spokesperson said.