- Conference
- 2023 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 18 July 2023
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes conversion therapy that includes medical, psychiatric, psychological, religious, cultural or any other interventions that seek to erase, repress or change the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a person remains completely permissible under law in the United Kingdom (UK). This is a huge concern.
Conference welcomes the motions passed at the 2021 and 2022 conferences on this issue, and now recognises that we need to continue to prioritise this campaign.
Conference acknowledges the damage the practice of conversion therapy has caused to generations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender plus (LGBT+) young people and adults. It has especially targeted them when they are at their most vulnerable; many experience self-harm, eating disorders, mental ill-health, and attempted suicide as a result.
The Stonewall ‘Unhealthy Attitudes’ report (2015) found that within health and social care “one in ten (10%) have witnessed staff within their workplace expressing the belief that someone can be ‘cured’ of being lesbian, gay or bisexual”. The 2018 report ‘LGBT in Britain – Health Report’ found that “one in twenty lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people (5%) have been pressurised to access services or change their sexual orientation when accessing healthcare services”.
The government has said it will prohibit all forms of conversation therapy in England and Wales. This is welcomed by Conference. However there is no visible evidence in progressing this, there seems to be no timetable for taking action, unlike the Scottish Government who have committed to introducing legislation by the end of 2023.
Conference calls on the national LGBT+ committee to:
1)Continue to support ‘End Conversion therapy’ campaigns, including Stonewall’s ‘Ban Conversion Therapy’ campaign;
2)Evidence work with the NEC, Service Groups, Self Organised Groups, Regions, and Branches to raise awareness of the damage that conversion therapy does and encourage them to support end conversion therapy campaigns;
3)Report back to the 2024 National LGBT+ Conference on progress that the Health Service Group has undertaken with healthcare regulators and education providers to ensure that all LGBT+ healthcare needs are included in suitable accredited education/training programmes.