Labour reveals plan to ban trans conversion therapy 'abuse' in King's Speech to allow people to 'explore their sexual orientation and gender identity'

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Labour will move to ban the 'abuse' of conversion therapy for gay and transgender people with a new law allowing people to freely 'explore their sexual orientation and gender identity'.

The King's Speech includes plans for a Draft Conversion Practices Bill, which would block action to 'change, ''cure' or suppress' someone's sexuality or gender ID.

However the Government appears to have slowed its charge towards change. Before the election, now minister Nick Thomas-Symonds suggested it could be brought in within 100 days of taking power. 

But the Government is only suggesting the a draft bill rather than something ready to be introduced as legislation. New  Health Secretary Wes Streeting has adopted a more cautious, measured approach to trans issues. He has kept a separate ban on puberty blockers being given to children, saying he wants his actions to be guided by scientific evidence. 

The draft bill will propose to bring in new offences targeting conversion 'therapy' not covered by existing laws.

But it would also include major carve outs for 'legitimate psychological support, treatment, or non-directive counselling', and the guidance says it must also 'respect the important role that teachers, religious leaders, parents and carers can have.'

Announcing that work will begin on a ban, Sir Keir said it was 'a promise that has lingered in the lobby of good intentions for far too long'.

The King's Speech includes plans for a Draft Conversion Practices Bill, which would block action to 'change, ''cure' or suppress' someone's sexuality or gender ID.

A ban on conversion therapy, which aims to suppress or change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, was first promised in 2018, by former Conservative prime minister Theresa May.

It was later downgraded under Boris Johnson's leadership not to include transgender people, but the Conservative government under Rishi Sunak said in January 2023 that it would ban conversion therapy for 'everyone', including transgender people.

This did not come to pass, with the Tories saying legislation around such practices 'is a very complex issue, with existing criminal law already offering robust protections'.

A government spokesman said: 'The Government wants to ensure that the criminal law offers protection from these abusive practices, while also preserving the freedom for people, and those supporting them, to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity.

'This will mean those providing medical care and support are in no way impacted by this Bill.'

Labour referred to research by LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop in 2022 which said trans people are 'significantly more likely to be subjected to conversion practices'.

The Government has insisted there is cross-party and cross-society consensus to see conversion practices banned, and pledged to 'work closely with everyone and bring everyone with us' in developing legislation.

News of the draft Bill was welcomed by LGBTQ+ campaigning organisation Stonewall, which said: 'Each day that these abusive practices remain legal, our communities are put at risk'.

Noting the six-year wait since a ban was first promised, the organisation called on Labour to 'urgently publish a comprehensive Bill to ban these abhorrent practices once and for all'.

But LGB Alliance, a charity formed in recent years to support the rights of same-sex attracted people, voiced concerns about whether, in the case of those questioning their gender, any new legislation 'would make it illegal for a therapist to ask a young person to consider why they want to change their body'.

Dr Roman Raczka, president-elect of the British Psychological Society, said any new legislation 'must be very clear that it will not prevent ethical forms of therapy, which are non-directive and non-judgmental' when it comes to people wanting help in exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.

He added: 'The Government must make an explicit distinction between so called 'conversion therapy' and normal ethical practice.'

The last Tory government made trans rights a major part of its 'culture war' fight against Labour and the issue is likely to form a major fighting point in the Conservative leadership election expected in the autumn. 

The Harry Potter author and gender rights campaigner backed Wes Streeting as he faced a backlash from backbenchers and activists over a decision to keep the prohibition on the strong drugs.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting defended keeping the ban on puberty blockers, adding he was 'treading cautiously', because of the unclear long term impact of drugs on young people

JR Rowling waded into a Labour row over puberty blockers for children today as she defended the new Health Secretary's decision to keep a Tory ban on their use.

The Harry Potter author and gender rights campaigner backed Wes Streeting as he  faced a backlash from backbenchers and activists over a decision to keep the prohibition on the strong drugs.

Mr Streeting spoke out yesterday to defend his actions, saying he was 'treading cautiously' because the long-term impact on young people taking the drugs is unclear.

In a social media thread he warned: 'We don't yet know the risks of stopping pubertal hormones at this critical life stage.

He also hit out at 'highly irresponsible' statements by critics, after barrister Jolyon Maugham claimed his decision to keep the restrictions in place would 'kill trans children'.

In the wake of his defence Harry Potter author Ms Rowling, a gender rights campaigner, wrote: 'It is a mark of how febrile and often vicious the discourse around child transition has become that this humane, considered thread from Wes Streeting comes as such a relief.'

And later she posted a video of Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy defending his stance, with the comment: 'The times they are a-changin'.

It emerged on Friday that Mr Streeting wants to make permanent the emergency ban on private prescriptions of puberty blockers for gender-questioning children which was brought in by the Conservatives in May.

The NHS had already ended routine use of the drugs after the landmark Cass review questioned the evidence behind gender medicine.

Defending his position Mr Streeting said: '(The) Cass Review found there is not enough evidence about the long-term impact of puberty blockers for gender incongruence to know whether they are safe or not, nor which children might benefit from them.

'The evidence should have been established before they were ever prescribed.

'The NHS took the decision to stop the routine use of puberty blockers for gender incongruence/dysphoria in children.

'They are establishing a clinical trial with NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) to ensure the effects of puberty blockers can be safely monitored and provide the evidence we need.'