Broad ‘conversion therapy’ ban

Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to ‘go and sin no more’. But saying the same thing to a practising homosexual could mean breaking a planned new conversion therapy law.

The Government wants to ban practices that seek to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. ‘Conversion therapy’ is a wide umbrella term chosen by LGBT campaigners. It covers abusive practices by quack medical practitioners and charlatan preachers which are largely illegal already.

But the campaigners want to go much further: they want to stop people criticising their lifestyle or theology. A conversion therapy ban could hand them a veto on the preaching and practice of churches.