UK Government published draft conversion practices bill

A draft bill is published so that people can comment and feedback on it, usually over several months. The UK Government may then make changes, before introducing an actual bill for the Westminster Parliament to consider.

The Bill proposed only covers England and Wales. Extensive work has been done in Scotland to prepare for a Scottish Bill, which we have been calling for for years. Any legislation that is brought forward, either in the Scottish Parliament or the Westminster Parliament, must end these abhorrent practices in Scotland for good.

We will take some time to analyse the UK Government’s draft Bill to determine whether it covers all types of conversion practices and sufficiently protects all LGBTQIA+ people from harm, and we will publish more detailed thoughts in due course.

If you have been affected by conversion practices in Scotland and need support, you can contact Scotland’s LGBTQIA+ Helpline at https://lgbthealth.org.uk/service/helpline/ or call 0800 464 7000