‘Parents who challenge child’s claim to same-sex attraction must not be criminalised’

The Government’s plans to outlaw ‘conversion practices’ would exacerbate family tensions, a prominent gender-critical campaigner has warned.

Writing in The Times, Kathleen Stock OBE explained that the proposals’ “vague and subjective categories” would criminalise parents for trying to explore why their child suddenly started identifying as either homosexual or the opposite sex.

Under the Draft Conversion Practices Bill for England and Wales, a person could face up to five years in prison for expressing “emotional pressure” that causes a person to believe they do or do not have a particular “identity” or “sexual orientation”.

‘Thermonuclear’

Stock, who describes herself as a lesbian, explained: “As with gender, identifying as gay or lesbian can be a fleeting affair; some children try on a succession of identities like outfits.

“Thanks to Stonewall’s grip on what can permissibly be said in this area, most of us have been frightened into treating professions of sexuality as revelations of holy inner truth, but many would privately acknowledge the existence of phases.”

She emphasised: “It is no business of the state to be hounding parents who disagree with their teenager’s dramatic announcement of lasting same-sex attraction.”

Stock warned that the proposals will encourage “teens to think of loving parents as monsters” with “thermonuclear” results.

Public opposition

According to a poll of 4,021 UK adults, Labour voters’ support for a ‘conversion practices’ ban dropped from 57 to eight per cent once respondents learned that parents could be criminalised for discouraging their children from ‘changing sex’ or adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach.

Support across all UK adults dropped below 40 per cent if the ban were to criminalise a parent refusing to allow their child to participate in a Pride march, advising a 16-year-old against intercourse, or praying with a child to help them stop watching pornography.

The survey conducted by Whitestone Insight for The Christian Institute is believed to be the largest nationally representative poll examining the UK public’s attitude to legislation on a conversion practices ban and its potential scope.