Most Britons want conversion therapy banned, including that aimed at transgender people

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Two-thirds of Britons (65%) say conversion therapy where people seek to change someone’s sexual orientation should be banned, while 62% say conversion therapy to change someone’s gender identity should be banned. Only 14% say each practice should not be banned, while 22-23% are unsure.

yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2022/04/12/most-britons-want-conversion-therapy-banned-includ

What is 'conversion therapy'?

@DomesticatedZombie

What is 'conversion therapy'?

Yes I’d be interested in the answer to this

It seems to mean different things to different people

Massive range

Most people are probably ignorant of the issues then.
I would like to see the question - "do children with gender distress deserve an alternative to affirmative care and puberty blockers?"

Can we also define transgender for the purposes of conversion therapy?

Many people see conversion therapy as a type of brainwashing. If they knew that talking with a therapist falls under it then I think they would say that was a good thing and not be banned. Words and their definitions really do matter, which is why this movement is deliberately messing around with meanings.

How many individuals were actually asked.
Do those individuals actually understand what supposed trans conversion therapy actual means or do they just think it's the same as gay conversion therapy?

What is a gender identity?

Many people see conversion therapy as a type of brainwashing

Absolutely or the browbeating/torture type which is obviously horrific

Conversion therapy should be banned.

What people dont understand is that the particular piece of legislation in question was very poorly written. Had it been passed it would have meant that therapists could be charged for trying to explore a child's gender identity rather than immediately affirm that they are correct in thinking they were born in the wrong body.

If they re-write the legislation so that actual conversion therapy is banned but children can still discuss openly their feelings and explore their identity with trained professionals then there won't be an issue.

@RufustheFloralmissingreindeer

Many people see conversion therapy as a type of brainwashing

Absolutely or the browbeating/torture type which is obviously horrific

Leeanne Woods just described it as 'torture' in a highly emotive article.

I think 'therapy that isn't affirmative' is rather a stretch of the word 'torture'.

I think 'therapy that isn't affirmative' is rather a stretch of the word 'torture'

Well yes…

But people don’t know that when she says torture she mean people talking it over with a qualified therapist

I'm completely in the dark on this one. The trans lobby always characterises this therapy as electrical shocks administered by a Bible-wielding madman. At the other extreme I keep hearing that it's more along the lines of making sure confused kids at least talk the options through before leaping straight to surgical and/or chemical neutering. what's the truth of it?

The latter puffy

We don’t really like bible wielding madman and torture in the uk….as a whole obviously, no idea what some individuals think is ok

All the political parties are on agreement that conversion therapy should be banned, OP. The only disagreement is about how broadly the legislation should be drawn to avoid impinging on treatment of gender dysphoria.

No, I'd really like to see more support for young people to appreciate what they are (female or male) and encouragement to follow their interests. Boys can do ballet and girls physics, for example.

Those who do not conform to stereotypes should not be told they are wrong and need their bodies and names to be converted.

Obviously if lesbian or gay, I think these children should likewise not be 'converted' either.

This is the question in the survey:

"Do you think 'Conversion Therapy', where people seek to change someone's [sexual orientation / gender identity] should or should not be banned?"

But that is NOT what the current debate is about. Nobody seeks to change someone's gender identity; rather the demand is a) that possible other reasons for feelings of gender dysphoria should also be addressed (such as childhood sexual assault, other forms of trauma) because many detransitioners say that the real reason was in those and made them feel that their gender was wrong when it was not,

and b) mental health problems unrelated to gender dysphoria or gender questioning should also be addressed. Some on the other side seem to argue that this should not be happening.

And what do you think about the question OP?

Specifically what do you think conversion therapy covers in the context of gender from that question ?

Do you think it adequately covers the reality being pushed for by lobby groups?

A definition of 'gender identity' might be a good place to start
Gender is a social construct, so what exactly is a gender identity?
I've not got one, I've got a sex which is the basis for my oppression in the sex hierarchy which is enforced by gender stereotypes, which I've never conformed to.
I think it's fairly obvious to anyone who's taken more than a passing interest in this issue, that 'gender confirmation' is actually transing the gay away in many cases.

There are quite a lot of people who think conversion therapy means things like making people watch porn while they get electrical shocks. So it is not surprising they think that should be banned.

Though actually 65% is not all that high which suggests that a fair number know that is not what is involved in these kinds of bills. As I don't think 45% think porn and electric shocks are ok.

Since torture is already illegal, what was the purpose of using such charged and emotive language, I wonder.

If you search Twitter for the terms “exploratory therapy” then the debate becomes much clearer.

Within only those who seek a ban on conversion therapy, you will see roughly half saying “of course exploratory therapy is fine” and the other half saying “exploratory therapy is gender critical people trying to sneak in conversion therapy under a new name”.

I replied to the consultation and in principle I agreed that coercive therapy to change what a person regards as their “gender identity” should be illegal. I also pointed out that it already is illegal.

Now can someone define what it is trans activists are trying to make illegal? What definitions are to be used of “transgender” and “conversion therapy”?

Half the examples given by Nancy Kelley, Little OJ and others are examples of (understandable) family conflict surrounding transition. They’re things like “mum doesn’t agree with 13 year old that they are the opposite sex”. Or parents of adult transitioned ask them to move out.

And they can piss off with all of that.

It's either worrying that the figures are so low given the blunt term "conversion therapy" (which I would hope any rational person is against?) - or it's an amazing sign that more and more people understand that those like the OP are using the term in place of actual "therapy", and therefore think the idea of banning it is mad. Unfortunately I'm not too sure it's the latter.