The Christian Institute has asked church leaders to put their congregations on 'prayer alert' as the Labour government prepares to publish draft legislation aimed at banning so-called conversion therapy.
A ban was first promised by the Conversvative government under Theresa May in 2018. In the run-up to the election, Labour promised to introduce "a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity". The proposed ban was included in the King's Speech at the start of this parliamentary session.
The Scottish government recently shelved its plans to bring in a separate ban for Scotland, saying that it wanted to avoid a judicial review and would instead back Westminster legislation.
The Christian Institute (CI) said that the U-turn on conversion therapy bans in Scotland, Ireland and Sweden, among other places, showed that it was possible to persuade politicians of the problems with such proposals. The CI had threatened to seek a judicial review into the Scottish government's "deeply repressive" plans.
After years without a ban coming into effect in the UK, CI Deputy Director Simon Calvert urged Christians not to be complacent.
"For several years now there has been talk amongst politicians across the UK and Ireland of legislating for a 'conversion therapy' ban," he said.
"We've been fighting them every step of the way and they have found the issue much more complex and riskier than LGBT groups make out.
"The can has been kicked down the road many times. There is a danger that Christians might stop praying, and stop contacting their politicians. But now is not the time to take our eye off the ball."
According to official figures, record numbers of people in the UK are applying to change their legal sex, with 1,397 applications submitted between 2023 and 2024, of which over three quarters were approved.
Legal advice to the CI from several KCs has concluded that parenting, pastoring and prayer could be criminalised under conversion therapy bans.
"Whilst every Christian is against the coercion or abuse of gay or trans people, there are long-standing concerns that, rather than outlawing abuse, a conversion therapy ban would outlaw harmless discussions within churches and families over sexuality and gender," said Mr Calvert.
A prayer movement to stop a conversion therapy ban from coming into force was launched by the CI in October 2021.
The CI said that a ban was not necessary as verbal and physical abuse are already illegal in the UK, and that attempts to introduce a broad law "would put the UK in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights".
"Nonetheless, activists will continue to put pressure on the Government to push forward with a ban," said Mr Calvert.
"We would be very grateful if church leaders would put their churches on 'prayer alert' over these issues, and ensure that church members are made aware of important developments in the areas of sexuality and gender."
