London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Victory for common sense? UK govt plans to BAN conversion therapies for children & vulnerable adults

Victory for common sense? UK govt plans to BAN conversion therapies for children & vulnerable adults

A UK government plan to criminalise non-consensual sexuality conversion therapy has drawn a mixed response; critics claim it could be “weaponised” against trans groups, while supporters have termed it a “victory for common sense.”

The proposed plan will make it illegal to try to coerce unwilling individuals – particularly children and vulnerable adults unable to properly consent – to change their sexual preferences or gender identity. But it will permit consenting adults to choose to undergo controversial conversion therapy programmes – while also placing “robust and stringent” requirements on informed consent.

While violent forms of conversion therapy are already punishable under separate offences, the new plan will reportedly make all forms of such therapies punishable by a maximum five-year prison term. The proposal also notes that sentencing for violent offences found to be motivated by conversion therapy must consider it a “potential aggravating factor.”

Announcing a six-week public consultation until December 10 to determine how to legislate the ban, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) stated on Friday that it would explore appropriate sentencing for “physical conversion therapy acts” and introduce ‘Conversion Therapy Protection Orders’ to protect potential victims – which would include seizing the passports of those deemed at risk of being taken overseas for conversion therapy.


Following the consultation period, Women and Equalities Minister Liz Truss will tailor the proposal according to the responses, with the aim of preparing and drawing up legislation by spring 2022. The GEO said it had developed a “practical package of interventions” after discussions with key stakeholders and victims of conversion therapy – many of whom detailed the negative impacts on their mental health.

“There should be no place for the abhorrent practice of coercive conversion therapy in our society,” Truss said, adding that the government was committed to banning an “archaic practice that has no place in modern life” to “make sure LGBT people can live their lives free from the threat of harm or abuse.”

Under the proposals, the work done by regulated medical professionals like psychiatrists and doctors will be protected. But unidentified government sources told The Times that organisations such as Mermaids – a non-profit that counsels children with so-called gender dysphoria – could be outlawed.

The announcement prompted a mixture of responses from social media users, with several commenters applauding the move as a “victory for common sense” that would “save thousands from irreversible harm.” But critics viewed the proposal with suspicion. One person said it “completely [misunderstands] the power dynamics” in conversion therapy and claimed it would be “weaponised” against trans charities.



Noting that “love” was “not a pathology” that needed “treating,” Conservative MP Alicia Kearns tweeted that the “robust” proposals would “protect LGBTQ+ people from bigotry and quackery packaged up by sinister charlatans to snare and profit off the vulnerable.”

But a number of people, including Kearns, raised concerns about the “legal definition” of coercion and the informed consent requirements – with some calling it a possible “loophole”. The government’s former LGBT adviser, Jayne Ozanne, criticised the plan for exempting religious practices. According to the GEO, religious teachings and private prayer would not be construed as conversion therapy.


“If LGBT+ people are being shamed & pressured to go straight by family, religious leaders or their peers, they cannot give genuine consent,” LGBT activist Peter Tatchell tweeted.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
×