The Queen’s Speech, from the BBC website…
The speech set out plans for a consultation on introducing a legal ban on so-called gay conversion therapy in England and Wales.
A document accompanying the speech says this will ensure action taken to stamp out the practice does not have “unintended consequences”.
So, what exactly are these “unintended consequences”?
Today I have heard of two groups who are worried about this law and the way it may stop them from doing their ‘job’ for fear of prosecution.
Professionals and Counsellors
Most professional bodies oppose or outright ban conversion therapy. Discussion of a persons sexuality and helping them to make their own decisions is not conversion therapy and could never be seen as such.
If you stray in to advising someone that their feelings of same-sex attraction are wrong and they need treatment for them, you have overstepped the mark and opened yourself up to prosecution.
No need for any exemption here.
I know some counsellors are not members of professional bodies, due to cost, requirements to prove competence etc. This is not an acceptable excuse for undertaking conversion therapy.
Religious Groups
My main experience is with the Christian Church, so let me use them as an example here.
If someone approaches their minister for prayer because they have feelings of same-sex attraction and the minister tells them that the particular church they are in believes that this is not acceptable, that is not conversion therapy. If they pray for the person that God will give them clarity and direction, this is also not conversion therapy.
If the minister then meets regularly with the individual to enforce the idea that being LGBTQ is wrong, then you have moved in to conversion therapy.
If they call together a group of others to lay hands on the person and cast out the spirit of gayness, this IS conversion therapy as it comes from a place of believing that being gay is evil and wrong and reinforces this by bringing in other people to humiliate and victimise the person who has revealed a very personal bit of information to them.
If they send them off to be Exorcised…. Yes, this is conversion therapy.
It isn’t actually all that difficult to see where the line is crossed from Pastoral Support to and Conversion Therapy.
Ask yourself, is the individual being victimised, harassed, embarrassed, humiliated or are you trying to force them to be someone they aren’t. These are signs of crossing the line.
If you think you might cross the line, stop!
No need for an exception here.
I am not intending to include in this brief piece a full explanation of why I think that Churches and other religious groups that deny the rights of the LGBTQ community to membership without restriction are wrong, perhaps this is a subject for another day.
Eye opener – research has shown that in 18 to 24 year olds who are part of the LGBTQ community the risk of suicide DOUBLED in the group whose parents had religious beliefs on homosexuality (Gibbs, J. J., & Goldbach, J. (2015). Religious conflict, sexual identity, and suicidal behaviors among LGBT young adults).
We need to have no more consultations. Let’s ban Conversion Therapy and let the Courts decide where people have overstepped the mark. Let’s do it for the sake of our children. Let’s do it for the sake of our communities. Let’s do it and see justice done.