Labour MP backs petition against gay ‘cure’ treatments

Labour MP Diana Johnson says the government needs to take a stronger position against gay conversion therapy and is lending her support to a petition.

Last week, in response to a parliamentary question tabled by Ms Johnson that was originally intended for Culture Secretary and Minister for Equalities Maria Miller, Lib Dem Health Minister Norman Lamb said:

“The Department of Health does not condone the concept of therapists offering ‘cures’ for homosexuality. There is no evidence that this sort of treatment is beneficial and indeed it may well cause significant harm, to some patients”.

Conservative Health Minister Daniel Poulter also told Ms Johnson that the government has “no plans” to introduce statutory regulation for psychotherapists.

This effectively means that psychotherapists will still be allowed to legally conduct conversion therapy on their patients without governmental interference, in spite of last month’s condemnation by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Ms Johnson is now encouraging people to sign and help distribute a paper parliamentary petition currently in circulation, calling for an end to conversion therapy.

The petition, still in its early stages, has already attracted the support of over a thousand signatories in the Hull and East Riding region.

It will be formally submitted to parliament next year.

You can download the petition here

• Nov 29

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