conversion therapy i front page

[RafasLeftBicep]

Saw this discussed on BBC News The Papers.

Theresa May and 5 other ex-PMs write an article urging Boris to end conversion therapy for transgender people. The i article

Where's the nuance? Where's the distinction between talk therapy, normal discursive therapy (that's much needed and indeed, lacking in current treatment for gender issues) and conversion therapy?

Good grief! May was responsible for the plan to amend the GRA with no proper consultation with women's groups - she's definitely over-compensating for her opposition to same-sex marriage.

Though totally abandoning the concept of "same-sex" should surely be a step too far even for her?

“Trans people are nearly twice as likely to be targeted by conversion practices and any ban that is not trans-inclusive abandons some of those that are most at risk.”
This unevidenced statement (twice as likely as who?) suggests that Stonewall have the broadest view possible of "conversion practices" and would like to make it difficult to challenge a patient, only affirm.

There aren't five other ex-PMs left alive. The linked article, by Benjamin Butterworth, says that on Friday, 'all six UK Prime Ministers will write for i on the 50th anniversary of Pride', by which he means the current PM and the 5 surviving ex-PMs. He includes a few quotes from them, but only the Theresa May quote mentions the proposed trans conversation therapy ban, and she hedges her support, merely saying that the government must 'consider the issue'. No doubt if she had said anything stronger it would have been quoted. And likewise, if the others had said anything at all in support of the ban, they'd have been quoted too.
Full articles should be out soon and I bet they don't say quite what Butterworth would like use to think they'll say

Blair is GC anyway, isn’t he? And if John Major believes in gender woo I’ll be a monkey’s banana hammock.

I get i for the bloody crosswords and a really interesting mix of political views. But I really wish they’d balance out Butterworth and Strudwick who publish unchallenged bollocks far too regularly.

The problem is most people don't understand how this would impact on good quality, exploratory psychotherapy which is by nature impartial. It's not for the therapist to take sides in a patient's internal conflicts, whatever they are about and that applies to gender and identify issues too.