A bill to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’ has finally been published after eight years of promises by successive governments.
The ban outlaws abusive practices in England and Wales which attempt to change a person’s sexuality or gender identity, following almost a decade of investigations by ITV News.
The draft bill will now be consulted on before MPs vote on it.
The proposed ban sets the criminal threshold for conversion practices as "conduct that aims to change someone’s sexual orientation or transgender identity through abusive acts that seriously harm the victim".
The government says forms of abuse still taking place include beatings and rape, as well as verbal threats and manipulation.
It has also singled out the religious practices, including exorcism, with ITV News previously exposing intensive prayer sessions and religious textbooks aimed at altering someone’s sexuality.
As well as criminalising conversion therapy at home, the bill outlaws encouraging or assisting people to go abroad for similar practices.
A ban was first promised by Theresa May in an interview with ITV News in 2018 – a pledge repeated by almost all of her successors in Number 10.
Labour included a ban on conversion therapy in its manifesto in 2024 and is now publishing a bill two years later.
Anyone breaking the new law could face up to five years in prison.
However, the ban will face resistance from concerned groups on several fronts.
Firstly, it is a ‘trans inclusive ban’ and covers conversion practices which focus on gender identity.
The government insists that legitimate healthcare will not be affected and that exploratory conversations with medical professionals or counsellors about gender identity will not be outlawed.
But opponents of a ban worry that the bill will have a chilling effect, preventing a doctor or counsellor from offering advice and guidance to those who may be confused about their gender identity.
Secondly, while the ban outlaws some religious practices, the threshold appears to be quite high.
The government says that it is because it wants to protect freedom of belief.
But campaigners for a ban argue that the majority of conversion practices take place in religious settings.
To fall foul of the law, prayer would need to be abusive and cause serious harm, for example, by being violent or threatening.
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