In her speech to the Parliament on Tuesday, May 11, the Queen announced the Government’s plan to finally ban the conversion therapy. She also said that the Government will introduce laws to address racial and ethnic disparities, by strengthening and renewing democracy and the constitution.
The conversion therapy
The so-called conversion therapy is any attempt at changing a person’s sexuality. It often involves techniques such as electroshock therapy or prayer.
After the Queen’s speech, Liz Truss, Minister for Women and Equalities, confirmed that the Government is working on this legislation. They want to ban the practice, and make people feel protected in the UK. Moreover, she added that new funding will be made available to ensure support to the victims of this practice.
Government and actvists’ words about the therapy
In 2019, the UK’s then-Prime minister Theresa May said it was the government’s priority to end the practice.
However, nothing has changed until after a year, when Boris Johnson defined the practice as “absolutely abhorrent”. Despite both prime ministers’ words, nothins has changed and this worried LGBTQ+ activists.
Jayne Ozanne, a former member of the government’s LGBT+ Advisory Panel, said she’s “relieved to hear that measures will be brought forward”. She stated that the Government needs to quiclky ban all conversion practices.
LGBTQ+ and human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, also welcomed the Queen’s announcement. But he also conddmned the lack of clarity in the timetable of the ban’s approval, saying that the Government has been promising this ban for nearly three years.