Conversion Practices Ban 101

What's happening 

After years of campaigning across the LGBTQ+, healthcare, and faith communities, the Government has finally released a draft ban on conversion practices in England and Wales. 

Conversion practices are any attempt to change or suppress a person's gender identity or sexuality. All forms cause significant long-term harm to people and communities, and it's unacceptable that they are still legal in the UK. 

The draft bill is the best one yet – for the first time, it contains no loopholes on consent, or for parents or religion. But there are still concerning loopholes that need to be closed to make sure it delivers a strong ban that protects all LGBTQ+ people. 

Now the bill is going through a process called pre-legislative scrutiny. During this time, the Government are analysing the draft bill and inviting feedback on its content. 

Right now, LGBTQ+ organisations and allies are organising to make sure the draft bill not only becomes law, but that any harmful loopholes are closed. 

We’ve only got a narrow window of time to change the current draft. 

Why we support the ban 

GI has been campaigning to ban conversion practices from the start. We know how amazing trans lives can be when you let people chart their own course – and how harmful it can be to try and force them to be someone they're not.  

Our friends at Galop have published a report showing that conversion practices are alive and well in the UK, and that trans people are more at risk than ever. 

This is about real people in our communities. Like Sophie*, whose doctor told her she wasn't really trans and suggested therapy to change her identity. Or David*, whose faith community isolated him and pressured him to watch homophobic videos in an attempt to suppress his sexuality. 

We owe it to survivors to make this ban happen. For too long the Government have dragged their feet and let the LGBTQ+ community down. It's time to hold them accountable to the promises they made and get this done. 

We know the ban still has concerning loopholes, and we have an opportunity to change that while it’s under pre-legislative scrutiny. Right now, it is our best chance of getting a fully trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices into law.  

What needs to change 

Getting an inclusive conversion practices ban into law is critical, but key changes are needed to make sure the ban is effective, equitable, and free from loopholes.  

That's why we're telling the Government to: 

Close the healthcare loophole:

The draft legislation states that activities carried out by health care professionals will only be classed as a conversion practice if they “act in a way that falls far below the standards reasonably expected of a person in their position”.  

We have been told this wording is to reassure professionals offering therapeutic support to LGBTQ+ people – such as open conversation about gender-affirming care- are not criminalised. But this loophole could enable conversion practitioners to operate under the guise of health services. We should support doctors and patients to have safe, outcome-neutral conversations about gender and sexuality without opening the door to abusers.

Include suppression: 

The UN, and other countries, define conversion practices as conduct that seeks to “change or suppress” a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, but the Draft Bill does not include “suppress”. We know that trying to temporarily stop someone from being their true self is just as harmful and just as abusive as trying to change them. The law needs to reflect this. 
 
Not including suppression means that perpetrators of conversion practices could claim they did not attempt to change someone’s identity, just to suppress it, to evade prosecution. 

Bring down the threshold for harm: 

The draft legislation applies to "abusive conversion practices", implying that some forms of conversion practice are non-abusive – leaving the door open for “legal forms” of conversion practice. All conversion practices are abuse, and the law should treat it as such. There is no level of conversion practice that is acceptable. 

What can you do 

Right now, Parliament is analysing the draft bill and seeking feedback. We've got a brief window where we can make our voices heard and influence the bill. Here are two things you can do: 

1. Email your MP:

If enough of us come together, we can make sure it becomes law and protects all LGBTQ+ people.  

 Will you email your MP and tell them a robust ban must become law?  

2. Submit your views – deadline 16 November! 

The Government have published a call for evidence, seeking views on how the draft bill could be improved. Anyone can respond to the call for evidence, and you don't have to be an expert. 

If you have lived experience of undergoing or being offered conversion practices, your views and experience are really important. 

To submit your views, there is an online form - you don't have to answer every question if you don't want to. Ban Conversion Practices have created a handy guide to help you submit your views. 

What about Scotland? 

The draft Conversion Practices Ban only applies to England and Wales, but it may be used by the Scottish Government in the future. 

If you live in Scotland, you can still email your MP and ask them to support the draft bill for England and Wales. MPs in Scotland have full voting rights and can participate in laws that only affect England and Wales. 

The Scottish Government have said they are committed to ending conversion practices. In May 2025 they said, ‘engagement will continue with the UK government for a Bill covering England, Wales and Scotland’, and that ‘if this approach cannot be agreed, then we commit to publishing our own Bill’. 

To stay up to date with progress towards a conversion ban in Scotland, check out the Equality Network.. 

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*Names changed for protection. You can read more survivor stories here.