A new documentary from producer Ryan Murphy has landed on Netflix this week, exploring the highly criticised practice of conversion therapy.
The film follows survivors and former leaders of the ‘pray the gay away’ movement, as they come to terms with their experiences and the devastating effect that conversion therapy has had on many individuals.
Many countries across the world are striving to make conversion therapy a thing of the past, but what exactly is it and is it legal in the UK?
Here is everything you need to know about conversion therapy.
What is conversion therapy?
According to Stonewall – a charity that campaigns for the equality of the LGBTQ+ community – conversion therapy refers to any kind of treatment or psychotherapy that aims to force a person to change or suppress their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
It centres on the premise that being gay or bisexual is a problem that needs to be fixed, and is often championed by extreme religious groups who view homosexuality as a sin.
The methods of conversion therapy – also known as ‘cure’ or reparative therapy – can involve therapy and prayer, as Jayne Ozanne, a former government equality adviser subjected to the practice, told ITV News.
In describing her own experiences with conversion therapy, Ozanne also highlighted the more extreme methods that can be used.
‘I went to specialised ministries, and that means deliverance ministries and exorcisms,’ she said.
‘Most but not all will be done by people who love you, want the best for you but they think they’re addressing the devil in you. It’s a terrible psychological place to be.’
Conversion therapy has been recognised as a harmful and unethical practice, as it has been linked to child abuse, with some parents forcing their children to attend conversion camps and keeping them there – often in solitary confinement – against their will.
Is conversion therapy legal in the UK?
In the UK, all major counselling and psychotherapy bodies, including the NHS, concluded that conversion therapy is dangerous and have condemned it by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (PDF).
Theresa May’s government promised to end conversion therapy back in 2018 as part of its LGBT equality plan.
Last summer, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said plans for a ban would be brought forward – but in March, three advisers quit the government’s LGBT advisory panel due to frustrations over the speed at which the ban seemed to be moving ahead.
But in the Queen’s Speech in May 2021, the government announced that a consultation will be held in England and Wales concerning the ban, with Boris Johnson said to have made the policy a ‘personal priority.’
While no timeline has been announced, the consultation will strive to ensure that the ban can go ahead without any unintended consequences and that medical professionals, religious leaders, teachers and parents can keep having open and honest conversations.
Speaking after the Queen’s speech, Stonewall’s CEO Nancy Kelley, welcomed a commitment to the ban but shared her continued frustrations at the manner in which the ban is progressing.
She told Metro.co.uk: ‘The news of a consultation is concerning and will be hard for our communities to hear. We don’t need a consultation to know that all practices that seek to convert, suppress, cure or change us are dangerous, abusive and must be banned.
‘Lesbian, gay, bi, trans, intersex and ace communities have been waiting almost three years for the UK Government to follow through on their promise to ban all conversion practices, and any delay leaves us at further risk of abuse.’
Have other countries banned conversion therapy?
A lot of countries have a full or partial ban, including Canada, Malta, Germany, Mexico and areas of Australia.
In Germany, under-18s are not allowed to receive conversion therapy, and it is outlawed for adults in cases of coercion or deceit.
A number of states in the US have banned the practice, although many of them do not include religious counsellors and organisations.
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