When the Orange Man was in Beijing yesterday, no doubt bitching about the quality of Chinese McDonald’s and other ‘worldly matters that are swirling around in his demented mind,’ the King of England was delivering a powerful speech to both Houses of Parliament. The Official King’s Speech confirmed that the Labour government will introduce a Draft Conversion Practices Bill, aiming for a “trans-inclusive” ban on activities intended to change or suppress an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. This legislation, promising to protect both sexual orientation and transgender identity, fulfills a key manifesto pledge from the 2024 General Election, aimed at addressing “abusive” practices.
The proposed legislation will outlaw practices that aim to “cure” or suppress LGBTQ+ people, which the government defines as abuse. The ban is designed to cover both sexual orientation and gender identity, fulfilling a key manifesto commitment made by the Labour Party. Plus the legislation is being introduced as a “draft Bill,” which will allow for consultation, expert input, and legislative scrutiny before it is formally introduced to Parliament.
The government has indicated the draft bill will attempt to balance this ban with the freedom of religious belief and expression, amid concerns from some groups about the scope of the legislation.
Queerguru is cautiously optimistic as the announcement comes after Stonewall, the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the U.K., called out the government on April 30 for having “failed to meet its own timeline to publish a draft Bill to ban conversion practices.“Four different Prime Ministers have promised to ban these abhorrent conversion practices, so this is an unacceptable position to be in,”Simon Blake OBE, the CEO of the nonprofit, said in a statement.
As Blake noted, several PMs have promised to ban conversion therapy, albeit in varying forms. In 2018, Theresa May made overtures toward ending the practice, promising “real and lasting change” for LGBTQ+ people in the U.K. In 2022, under Boris Johnson, a chaotic series of promises collapsed: Documents in late March of that year suggested the government was dropping plans for a ban, only to announce hours later that it would support a ban that did not cover trans people. In January 2023, Rishi Sunak promised a trans-inclusive conversion therapy ban, but those plans were shelved later that year. Current Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labour Party promised a trans-inclusive ban in 2024, but as the Blade noted, he is currently facing calls to resign after Reform made significant inroads in May’s local-level elections.
Only time will tell whether a comprehensive conversion therapy ban materializes this time around. Per Pink News, if passed, the ban would only apply to England and Wales. Scotland has not yet passed a conversion therapy ban in its parliament but published a consultation report on the subject in October of last year. The practice remains legal in Northern Ireland as well while advocates continue to call for a ban.
| The King’s Speech is the centrepiece of the State Opening of Parliament in the UK, where the monarch outlines the government’s planned legislation and policy agenda for the coming parliamentary session. Although delivered by the King, it is written by the government and marks the official start of the parliamentary year. |
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