Part 128. Conversion therapy legislation.

The United Kingdom government is expected to publish shortly a Bill designed to ban conversion therapy. Not before time.  There has been much delay in reaching this stage: the reason for the delay is unclear. There is concern that the Bill will not make provision for an outright ban but that there will be exceptions or  loopholes enabling the therapy to continue.

Pressure groups on both sides of the argument are geared up for promoting and campaigning for their respective views.  The pro-conversion lobby has major players in The Christian Institute and some evangelical Christian bodies. The pro lobby argues that conversion and homosexuality are purely matters of choice, are sinful and should be opposed on supposedly scriptural grounds. Tosh.

The anti-conversion lobby  primarily led by Stonewall, wishes to see no exceptions to an outright ban.

The worry is that Parliament may support exceptions based on religious conscience. The underlying scriptural support for permitting conversion therapy to continue is based on an outdated, literalist and fundamentalist understanding of the Christian faith. It is legalistic and far removed from Jesus's concept of love all. It is based also on a wilful disregard of science.  There is clear evidence that sexual orientation is not a matter of personal preference but is physiological.

It will soon be time to contact MPs to ask they support a complete ban and not support half-baked exemptions.