The Government have now published their draft Bill to ban conversion practices, a momentous step forward towards LGBTQ+ equality 

We’ve developed this Q&A to answer some of the common questions about conversion practices, and to tackle some myths and misconceptions you might have seen in the media.

What are conversion practices? 

The Ban Conversion Practices Coalition defines conversion practices as: 

treatments, practices or services that seek to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, based on the assumption that any sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is inherently preferable to any other. 

There are many different definitions of conversion practices from different international bodies or states who have passed legislation, and we drew on several of these in the process including the UN Human Rights Council, the Memorandum of Understanding on conversion practices in the UK (a joint document signed by over 25 health, counselling and psychotherapy organisations in the UK), and legislative definitions adopted in a number of jurisdictions, including Canada, France and New Zealand. 

Why do we need a ban? 

Everyone deserves to be free and safe to be who they are. LGBTQ+ people are not broken and do not need fixing. Conversion practices are discriminatory abuse and should be prohibited in the same way that other forms of serious abuse and exploitation are prohibited under UK law. 

Without a ban, conversion practices will continue to put our communities at risk of lifelong psychological damage. The National LGBT Survey 2018 found that 7% of LGBT+ people have been offered or undergone conversion therapy. Trans respondents were almost twice as likely to have undergone or been offered conversion therapy (13%), while asexual people were also at a higher risk of being offered or undergoing conversion therapy (10%). 

Doesn’t existing law already cover this kind of abuse? 

Current laws only capture the most extreme cases of conversion practices. They fail to address how conversion practices typically operate: through a pattern of discriminatory abuse involving repeated pressure, emotional manipulation, shame, and social isolation. Most conversion practices fall below the threshold for existing criminal offences when viewed as individual incidents, even though their cumulative or long-term impact can be extremely severe. No current law addresses this distinctive harm.  

A specific ban would close this gap, improve recognition and reporting, support victims in seeking help, and send a clear message from government that there is nothing wrong with being LGBTQ+ and nothing that needs "fixing." 

Are conversion practices happening now, in the UK? 

Yes. Many people think conversion practices just refer to the historic practice of Electric Shock Aversion Therapy designed to change sexual orientation or gender identity. But the data shows that conversion practices are still happening in the UK today.  

Recent research published by Galop found that, of a sample of recent cases of conversion practices identified in their frontline services, 68% were current, recent, or ongoing - demonstrating that this abuse is active, not historical. 

What do conversion practices look like in the UK in 2026? 

Often people are surprised at how close a victim of conversion practices is to the person or organisation who conducted it. 

The Government’s National LGBT Survey (2018) found that one in five (19%) of those who had conversion therapy were offered it through healthcare and medical settings, 16% were subjected to it by a parent, guardian or family member, and a further one in ten (9%) from a member of their community. 

But by a large margin, most victims of conversion practices went through it in a faith setting. Over half (51%) of those subjected to a form of conversion therapy reported it was conducted by a faith organisation or group. 

What would criminalisation of conversion practices not include? 

• Holding, expressing, writing, teaching, preaching, researching, reporting on, or otherwise communicating beliefs about the morality, ethics, or legal recognition of any sexual orientations, gender identities, sexual relationships, or any other relationship. 

• Providing personal , emotional, psychological or spiritual support to a person experiencing difficulties relating to their sexual orientation or gender identity, provided that  such support does not seek to direct that person to suppress, “cure”, or change their sexual orientation or gender identity on the basis that it is inherently inferior or disordered. 

• Exploring a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity in therapy, private conversation or any other setting, where such exploration is open-ended and not directed towards a predetermined outcome, and is not based on the assumption that any particular sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is inherently preferable to any other. 

What happens if an adult consents to undergo conversion practices? 

Consent should not be a defence to conversion practices. These practices occur in situations involving significant power imbalances, pressure and manipulation. Consent cannot be fully free and informed in these circumstances. 

International human rights bodies, including the United Nations, have recognised that conversion practices amount, at a minimum, to degrading treatment, with some practices reaching the threshold of torture. The prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment under UK law, the UN Convention Against Torture and Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights is absolute. No exceptions can be made on the basis of a person’s apparent consent. 

Why should a ban on conversion practices include gender identity as well as sexual orientation?  

Gender identity conversion practices are equally as damaging as sexual orientation conversion practices – with the associated physical harms, risks of damage, and high rates of mental ill health and suicidal ideation/attempts.   

Trans people are also at higher risk of conversion practices – the National LGBT Survey 2018 found 13% of trans people had been subjected to or offered conversion therapy as opposed to 7% of the general LGBT+ respondents. 

It is also important to note that many people will be ‘LGB’ and ‘T’ and therefore at risk of being subject to conversion practices in relation to their sexual orientation and gender identity. It makes no sense to only protect one part of someone’s LGBTQ+ identity.   

Finally, not protecting gender identity as well as sexual orientation would expose any ban to the risk of it continuing to tolerate all forms of conversion practices, including that directed to LGBQ individuals. This is because our presumed identities often overlap and intersect. To protect all LGBTQ+ people, it has to be a complete ban. An exemption in relation to gender identity would undermine the efficacy of the prohibition. 

Would a ban restrict religious freedom? 

No. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. A ban would not be about restricting prayer or criminalising regular religious or faith-based activity. However, it is a well-established legal principle that the right to manifest one’s religion or belief cannot be invoked to justify harm to others. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has affirmed this specifically in relation to religious forms of conversion practices. 

Recent research by Galop found that 27% of a sample of conversion practice cases identified through their frontline services involved religion-based practices, ranging from forced or coerced prayer and religious "aversion therapy" to exorcisms.  

Religious leaders across faiths and countries have made clear that conversion practices are not just distinguishable from legitimate religious practice, but are a profound distortion of religious principle. The General Synod of the Church of England has endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding Against Conversion Practices in the UK, and has voted in favour of a statutory ban – as has the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Bench of Bishops in the Church of Wales (‘Bishops Welcome Conversion Therapy Ban Commitment’, and numerous other faith groups worldwide  

Will parents be criminalised for talking to their children about their identity? 

No. Conversations between parents and children will not be criminalised by this legislation. Every young person should be able to talk openly and honestly about their identity - including their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression - with trusted adults, including their parents.  

However, parental rights are not absolute and are bounded by the principle of the best interests of the child (UN CRC,‘General Comment 5’CRC/GC/2003/4 (27 November 2003). This is a key legal principle in UK law and international human rights law.  

Parents can sometimes be perpetrators of conversion practices where a sustained effort is made using coercive or controlling measures to change a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. In Galop’s recent research of a sample of cases of conversion practices identified by their frontline services, the majority of cases were perpetrated or initiated by family (76%) – especially by a parents (63%). The Government's own National LGBT Survey (2018) found that 16% of those who had experienced conversion therapy were subjected to it by a parent, guardian, or family member. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on all states to eliminate conversion practices, as they violate multiple rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC,‘General Comment 20’CRC/C/GC/20 (6 December 2016) at [34]). 

Will therapists or counsellors be unable to talk to people about distress or exploration of sexual orientation or gender identity? 

No. A ban on conversion practices must not get in the way of people accessing appropriate therapeutic support. Open-ended conversations - ones that don't assume any particular sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is inherently preferable to another - are not conversion practices. 

Conversion practices, by contrast, are based on the assumption that any sexual orientation or gender identity is inherently preferable to another. They cause grave harm (whether physical or psychological), have no clinical basis, and fall way short of the professional standards expected of healthcare providers. 

The UK’s leading health, counselling and psychotherapy bodies (including the Royal College of GPs, British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists, Royal College of Psychiatrists) have, since 2015, agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) making it clear that conversion therapy in relation to gender identity and sexual orientation is unethical, potentially harmful and is not supported by evidence. All therapy providers regulated by these bodies have already rejected these practices. 

The legislation needs to capture genuinely harmful practices, while giving healthcare professionals the clarity they need to make sure the ban doesn't inadvertently restrict or deny LGBT+ people access to medical or psychological support. 

Is supporting a person to socially, medically and/or legally transition not a form of conversion practice? 

No. Gender-affirming healthcare is not a conversion practice.   

Any ban on conversion practices must not restrict the ability of transgender, including non-binary, individuals to transition and to access other healthcare provisions they require. Legislation should distinguish between conversion practices and practices that help people come to a consensual, comfortable, and self-accepting place with their gender identity or sexual orientation. 

Conversion practices are based on a predetermined objective: changing or suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity on the assumption that a particular  sexual orientation or gender identity is inherently preferable to another. 

By contrast, gender affirming therapy is patient-centred and patient-led. It seeks to support individuals who are experiencing gender dysphoria, other forms of gender questioning, or who wish to transition socially, legally and/or medically. Gender affirming therapy starts from the premise that there is no predetermined expectation and that the patient has autonomy to explore and know their own gender identity, to decide on how they wish to live their lives in accordance with their gender, and to request and seek treatment in line with their own stated needs.