A petition calling on the government to include trans people in any conversion therapy ban has received over 115,000 signatures in 6 days.
Parliament must consider holding a debate on any petition with over 100,000 signatures, meaning the petition’s authors should receive a response soon.
“It’s shameful that the UK intends to deliberately exclude trans people from a ban in contrast to the approach taken by many countries,” reads the petition, started by a Sammantha Harris, “despite trans people being at a greater risk of experiencing the harmful & degrading practices.
“The government’s own figures show that trans people are nearly twice as likely to be at risk of experiencing the harmful & degrading practices of conversion therapy. A ban needs to ensure all forms of conversion therapy are banned.”
Hundreds of people protested outside Downing Street on Sunday April 10 at the government’s decision to ban conversion therapy for lesbian, gay and bisexual people but not trans people.
Conversion therapy practices attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The government says “there is no robust evidence” of its efficacy, and LGBT advocates say the practices “can and do cause significant long-term harm to victims”.