Conversion therapy ban must cover everyone

Equality really shouldn’t be so hard to achieve, should it? Yet here we are in 2022 and it often feels like two steps forward, one step back – whether we’re talking race, gender or sexuality.

With regards to the latter, we are currently in Pride Month. Lest we forget in the face of bandwagon-jumping businesses slapping rainbow flags all over their products and marketing, the Pride movement was born of protest to make the voices of the LGBT+ community heard.

It is still very much in living memory that homosexuality was criminalised – this only changed in 1967 in the UK. And the psychiatry bible, the DSM, only dropped any reference to homosexuality being a form of mental illness in 1987.

So to see so many people proudly flying their colours on Southsea Common without fear of recrimination this past weekend was fantastic.

But we cannot pretend we live in a utopia where everyone is in reality equal.

For instance, we remain in a country where conversion therapy remains legal.

Despite there being no scientific basis for any of its forms – it continues to operate on the assumption that homosexuality is an illness and can therefore be ‘cured’ – this potentially dangerous form of ‘therapy’ can still take place.

Practitioners have no fear about repercussions, while their patients are subjected to various techniques which could create lasting harm.

The government claims to be committed to banning conversion therapy, but has dropped all reference to transgender and non-binary people.

Portsmouth City Council and Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan have been vocal campaigners to retain protections for transgender people in the legislation.

Outlawing conversion therapy is a crucial step forward. We should not be leaving anyone behind.