Stephen Morgan MP has welcomed bold new action by the Government to ban abusive conversion practices through the Conversion Practices Bill, following his popular “Ban Conversion Therapy” campaign.
This Bill, announced within the recent King’s Speech, will seek to fill the gaps in criminal law to target conversion practices, delivering the manifesto commitment to bring forward a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.
In 2024, a national survey of 2,000 LGBT+ individuals, conducted by Opinium on behalf of Stonewall, found that around one in ten had experienced a form of conversion practice in the previous year.
Labour want to ensure that the criminal law offers protection from these practices, while also preserving the freedom for people, and those supporting them, to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Additionally, the Government is clear that the ban must be balanced and targeted, so as not to impinge on legitimate healthcare and the range of broader support that those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity might seek or receive.
This Bill marks major progress for the city MP’s “Ban Conversion Therapy” campaign, calling for a ban all forms of so-called conversion therapy in full, with no loopholes or exceptions.
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Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“The previous government’s failure to deliver their promise to ban conversion therapies time and again left LGBTQ+ people in Portsmouth vulnerable to experiencing these abusive practices. Conversion practices that aim to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity, have no place in society and must be stopped.
“With this new Bill, the Government is setting things right by fill the gaps in criminal law to target conversion practices. This Bill is not only a campaign win but a major step forwards for Portsmouth’s LGBTQ+ community, who can feel reassured Ministers are acting on our concerns.
“But action does not stop here. I will continue to take action to protect our city’s LGBTQ+ community, so that everyone can live in our city with dignity, respect and pride”.
