Conversion Therapy: Scottish Government condemned for pressing ahead with controversial law plan although public consultation reveals majority of public opinion opposed

The Scottish Government will continue to back legislation aimed at banning so-called conversion therapy despite the results of a public consultation, revealed today for the first time, in which the majority of responses are against the proposed Bill.

The SNP wants to ban practices that are deemed as attempts to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. ‘Conversion therapy’ is a wide umbrella term chosen by LGBT campaigners. It covers abusive practices which are illegal already but is also cynically used to describe harmless conversations about sex and gender.

Despite the results of the public consultation confirming a majority opposed the proposals the Government said it plans to continue to push for a new law.

The decision was criticised by Christian campaigners.

Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of The Christian Institute, said:

“It’s disappointing that the Scottish Government is still pushing ahead with its controversial plans for a conversion therapy law when its own consultation has shown that the public don’t want it.

“The claim that a new law is needed to protect people from abuse is simply not credible. Existing law rightly already protects everyone from verbal and physical abuse.

“There’s clearly huge concern among Christians over the impact this law could have on the ordinary work of churches, and on parents engaging in open conversations about sex and sexuality with their teenagers.

“Yet the Scottish Government seems to be ignoring these concerns.

“They are asking Westminster to legislate, when they know their own draft Bill last year was deeply unpopular and got torn to shreds by lawyers. I’m not sure why they think that Westminster is likely to do any better.”

The CI has already threatened legal action against Holyrood over the proposed law.

The CI supports protecting people from dangerous medical practices and abuse.

But activists backing the ban want to go much further so that prayer, pastoral conversations, preaching and even parenting would be caught.

Many Christians are concerned a ‘conversion therapy’ ban could hand them a veto on the preaching and practice of churches. And gender critical campaigners, who also responded to the consultation in large numbers, fear the law will be used to punish parents trying to protect their kids from gender ideology.