UK government pledges to ban gay conversion therapies

The UK government has announced plans to ban gay conversion therapies as part of a £4.5 million initiative to fight LGBT+ discrimination – coinciding with Pride Week in London. The plan comes after a survey of 108,000 LGBT+ people found 2 percent had undergone conversion therapy, while 5 percent had been offered it.

The survey also revealed two-thirds of participants feared holding hands in public with their same-sex partner out of fear of causing a negative reaction.

Theresa May reacted to these findings by saying how she was "struck by just how many respondents said they cannot be open about their sexual orientation or avoid holding hands with their partner in public for fear of a negative reaction."

"No one should ever have to hide who they are or who they love," the PM continued. "This LGBT action plan will set out concrete steps to deliver real and lasting change across society, from health and education to tackling discrimination and addressing the burning injustices that LGBT people face."

The planned ban will aim to implement "legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy."

Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, a British LGBT+ advocacy group, has praised the government’s push for a ban as "an important first step" but says the results of the survey are not surprising.

"Some people will be shocked by the findings. But for anyone who is LGBT, or has a family member or friend who is, these results will be sadly recognizable," Hunt said in a statement.

"Laws have improved and attitudes have changed but our society still treats LGBT people like second-class citizens."