The government has introduced draft legislation designed to ban practices aimed at changing people’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Individuals found guilty of perpetrating such abusive conduct would face criminal penalties including imprisonment for up to five years and unlimited financial fines.
Campaigners and advocacy organizations have characterized the measure as a significant development toward greater equality. Officials from organizations including Stonewall have framed the proposal as addressing a gap in legal protections, noting that current statutes covering domestic violence and coercive control do not specifically target conversion practices. An anti-LGBT abuse charity reported identifying 371 cases involving such practices in the period between 2022 and 2025, describing the impacts as devastating.
The legislation has faced delays spanning multiple administrations. Previous attempts at criminalization encountered obstacles, including a period when the government considered eliminating protections for gender identity from the scope of the ban, a decision that prompted significant public backlash. The current proposal includes safeguards intended to protect legitimate healthcare, therapy, and open conversation from legal jeopardy. Dr. Hilary Cass, author of a review of gender identity services for children, emphasized the importance of allowing healthcare professionals to provide care without fear of litigation while simultaneously protecting vulnerable individuals.
Opponents of the measure have raised concerns regarding potential impacts on free speech and religious practice, as well as parental rights to discuss such matters. The bill would also establish a new civil protection mechanism similar to existing orders designed to prevent forced marriage and female genital mutilation, intended to provide preemptive support to individuals at risk of conversion practices.
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