Britain to ban gay ‘conversion therapy’ as part of sweeping plan to stamp out discrimination
Two per cent of survey respondents said they had received conversion therapy, which rights group defines as any ‘treatment or psychotherapy which aims to reduce or stop same-sex attraction’
Britain on Tuesday unveiled its “action plan” to tackle discrimination against the gay community, which includes bringing forward legislation to ban the practice of conversion therapy.
The plan was drawn up using data from an online survey that received 108,000 responses, making it the largest ever national survey of LGBT people anywhere in the world.
Around two per cent of respondents said they had received some form of conversion therapy, while another five per cent were offered it but refused.
LGBT rights group Stonewall defines conversion therapy as “any form of treatment or psychotherapy which aims to reduce or stop same-sex attraction”, although the survey did not provide a definition.
“These activities are wrong, and we are not willing to let them continue,” said the government plan.
“We will fully consider all legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy.”