UK Government pushes forward with conversion practices ban to protect LGBT+ people from abuse

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LONDON: The UK government has published a draft Conversion Practices Bill, aiming to criminalize abusive efforts to change or suppress an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. This legislation, applying to England and Wales, seeks to protect LGBT+ individuals from profound physical and psychological harm.

The proposed law criminalizes abusive practices that cause ‘serious harm, alarm or distress’. Offenders face unlimited fines or up to five years in prison. It also introduces civil Protection Orders to pre-emptively safeguard those at risk of abuse.

To protect free speech, the bill sets a high criminality threshold. It explicitly exempts legitimate healthcare and open conversations, ensuring ethical services remain unaffected while targeting inherently abusive, coercive behavior.

This fulfills a manifesto commitment following years of campaigning. By filling legal loopholes, the government seeks a more inclusive society where LGBT+ citizens can live without the threat of coercive attempts to ‘fix’ their identities.