UK publishes draft conversion therapy ban with 'health care' exemption
On 25 June the UK government published a draft bill to ban conversion therapy across England and Wales, saying the law would apply to LGBT+ people and propose penalties of up to five years' imprisonment and unlimited fines. The draft labels the measure trans-inclusive but creates a broad "health care services" exemption and sets a high threshold that a practice must "fall far below the standards reasonably expected of a person in their position" to count as conversion therapy. Campaigners and trans-rights groups warn that the exemption could let NHS clinicians, private practitioners, and religious counsellors continue coercive counselling of trans and gay people and plan to push for amendments during parliamentary scrutiny.
So why do I say that it fails in reality to protect trans people in the same way as it protects lesbian and gay people? Because it has become entirely orthodox for NHS England to engage in "abusive conversion therapy" (as defined in the bill) for trans but for not gay or lesbian people.
Jolyon Maugham KC149And given that is what regulated professionals do in plain sight courts are likely to give even greater latitude to unregulated professionals - noting the broad description of healthcare services in the bill.
Quarter to Worm 🏳️⚧️10So, like when the ‘Minimum Wage’ became the ‘Living Wage’ the legislation will be something the Government can point to and say, “Look! We already gave you what you asked for,” because they changed the meaning of the terminology to make them look good without changing anything about the reality.
No conversion therapy unless its done by the nhs 😉 couldn’t expect us to ban ourselves could you silly billys it simply must be regulated state conversion therapy with dignity and respect and a fat palantir contract
Cal Horton (they/them)761) It is confirmation that they KNOW the NHS is doing conversion practice - They haven't even tried to pretend what they are doing in the NHS is not a conversion practice. 2) Anyone celebrating this is no ally to trans kids
Andrew McGrae6It’s not even that, a health care provider is basically defined as anyone who calls the thing they provide healthcare.
Sam Turner3Putting my money down now: the first conviction under this legislation will be against a group -supporting- trans people. The scope is so fuzzy that words even explaining the concept of transition could be over interpreted as conversion.
Today Bridget Phillipson made a Freudian slip, she said she is banning conversion therapy “once and for all”. Sounds harmless? Not if you consider the religious exemptions she’ll almost certainly sneak into the bill. It’s all about preventing a more effective ban.
Ashleeee 🌊🪭32I’m not sure what kind of weed got her and Stonewall so stoned that she is beaming uncontrollably like the Cheshire Cat in the clip. Literally no one in the actual community approves this.
Ghost of Hope 🏳️⚧️19Is it just me that's terrified by what she means by trans-inclusive?
Natacha18From what I recall the exemptions basically cover; 1. Anyone who wants to do CT. 2. At any place where CT can be carried out. 3. On any victim they think they should do CT to. Not so much a ban as an instruction manual.
Slice of Fox17She also said ‘these’ immediately after referring to trans people. Which the suspicious person might think is saying she’s ban trans people (again as she’s already done that in schools and public)
nadiawithaboringj.bsky.social4She's a sociopath. I know you cant diagnosis like this,but,my god,theres literally nothing behind those eyes ever is there...
🙄 LABOUR IS NOT BANNING LGBT CONVERSION THERAPY. TRANS CONVERSION THERAPY IS LABOUR PARTY POLICY.
NevereverDave.bsky.social7This ⬇️ would mean they were sincere but; it would smash seven decades + of #UK anti trans mendacity. Habitually that's seemingly too impossible to contemplate for the Palace of Westminster - increasingly the key barrier to any real honesty & political decency for #Britain. bsky.app/profile/helr...
Saphicarus4It's shit like this that makes it unbelievably exhausting trying to talk anything about trans rights with my cis friends. They just don't see any of the shit happening to us unless I specifically spell it all out for them and lately I'm just fucking over doing that.
Lena Midnight2They should jail and fine themselves under the new plan to prove they take this seriously
To no ones suprise the draft bill on conversion therapy excludes the NHS. We know the NHS subjects kids to endless talk therapy. When you build a law with loopholes like this it becomes impossible to truly enforce. I wonder what trans orgs were in the room to draft this, I bet none- just stonewall
Lyra 💕24We need a solid outline here for what counts as "far below" the standard of care, as I understand it the NHS would be marking their own homework on this and setting the standard to apply to all areas. If that then this seems far more likely to ban affirming care than endless speech therapy abuse
Holly Brigstocke5NHS gender psychs stayed out of GRA discussions claiming that would have been "political" when we all know they didn't care and it was jobs for the boys. If the NHS had genuine expertise and no abuse scandals to hide they would be challenging the loopholes in the conversion therapy ban bill.
NevereverDave.bsky.social3Platinum standard here! Enact that simple wording & leave it for criminal practitioners to pay heavily to defend themselves. It should be deterrent enough I hope, to self cauterise the practice. #Starmer & #Streeting in hock to lobbyists. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4... bsky.app/profile/helr...
Hot Take -The UK LGBT+ sector is weak, ineffective & a large part of the reason why we are in this mess. Self congratulatory, ineffectual & compromised -they welcomed the Cass report & Conversion therapy charter with glee vs total resignation on segregation. Rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.
Elizabeth Taylor8Just flagging TransActual’s excellent response here bsky.app/profile/tran...
Holly Brigstocke5All true that, sadly. Needs a much more punchy professionalism to push things forward as well as being aware of information warfare and the fact they need much more expert marketing.
NevereverDave.bsky.social5Yep complacency did set in, core funding got siphoned off to other headings, wee, volunteer led charities collapsed for want of say £15k per annum but thriving & socialising is very definitely at the core of those that remain. Precarity is an ever present factor on raising heads above the trenches.
Cindy Michels 🇺🇲🇪🇺🇨🇦3Let's have yet another award ceremony and pat ourselves on the back 🙄
