I bookmarked the first page linked below in 2021 when I was having a trawl through various voluntary organisations, to see if they had said anything about the proposed ban on Conversion Therapy.
However, I don't see the "call to action" to write to MPs that I mentioned, so I think that must have been on another site where it was the first announcement by a newly formed LGBT Group. Not the National Pensioners Convention.
All the links below are on the NPC site and relate to the Conversion Therapy Ban:
Jul 29, 2021
LGBT Newsletter No 1
includes a page on banning "Conversion Therapy"
https://www.npcuk.org/post/lgbt-newsletter
04 February 2022
Banning Conversion Therapy - NPC evidence for the consultation
Note: their main concern at this stage seems to be that the ban should be extended to cover religious and faith groups:
"The National Pensioners Convention welcomes the Government Consultation but remains concerned that their present proposals on Conversion Therapy, while welcome, do not go far enough. In order to protect all LGBT+ people living in England and Wales from the use of Conversion Therapy practices, and respecting their right to determine their own sexuality, and sexual and gender identity without fear of abuse, exclusion or isolation; the ban on Conversion Therapy must extend to the use of such practices by religious and faith groups."
Full consultation submission:
https://www.npcuk.org/_files/ugd/75333b_02075d6e3efa4cb491fce399e53f0c4c.pdf
Feb 26, 2022
LGBT Newsletter Winter 22
First article is "Conversion Therapy We Need a Total Ban", which is an abridged version of the NPC consultation submission linked above.
https://www.npcuk.org/post/lgbt-newsletter-winter-22
May 10, 2022
NPC Verdict: Disappointing Queen’s Speech fails those in desperate need now
This includes:
-
Conversion therapy – we disagree with the fact that the ban does not cover transgender and our LGBT working party will be asking for the government to meet with us to listen to our members concerns.
https://www.npcuk.org/post/queen-s-speech-may-2022
Dec 6, 2023
Rainbow News - Winter 23
The latest edition of Rainbow News, the newsletter by the NPC LGBT+ Working Party is out now. With great articles on:
- Trans day of Remembrance
- State of Ageing
- Conversion Therapy
https://www.npcuk.org/post/rainbow-news-winter-23
This is the article in Rainbow News - Winter 23
CALLS TO BAN CONVERSION THERAPY
The King’s Speech did not include legislation to ban the abhorrent practice of conversion therapy. This ‘therapy’ seeks to change or supress someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Baroness Burt has tabled a Private Members Bill which proposes a UK-wide ban on the practice. This will be debated next year.
Baroness Burt - a Liberal Democrat peer says that there is a cross party consensus in favour of the ban.
However, the Bill has a long road ahead with several rounds of voting in the House of Lords and if it has enough support, it would then pass to the House of Commons for MPs to debate.
Many of the issues around banning the practice hinge on potential unintended consequences for parents, teachers, therapists and religious freedoms.
Baroness Faulkner, Chair of the Equalities Commission, says legislation is needed to ban this harmful practice, with thorough and detailed scrutiny to avoid any unintended consequences.
A government spokesperson said: ‘No one in this country should be harmed or harassed for who they are, and attempts at so-called conversion therapy are abhorrent. That is why we are carefully considering this very complex issue.’
The NPC supports the banning of conversion therapy, but we would like to hear from you what you think. So please email us at the closed emailed address or write to us (anonymously if need be) at the office address below.
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There is also a dedicated, confidential email address for NPC members to contact the LGBT Working Group, "This is overseen by the Chair and NPC lead for the group and carries a password to ensure that access is limited to those people. The security of your message is important to us."
It looks very much as if the NPC has become aware that the issue is not quite as straightforward as when it conveyed the views of the LGBT Group in its Consultation Response in 2021 and when it published a response to the Queen's Speech in 2022.