Overview
- The government published the draft Conversion Practices Bill on Thursday 25 June to create criminal offences for abusive acts intended to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity and to outlaw encouragement or assistance of such practices abroad.
- Under the draft a criminal threshold requires conduct to be abusive and to cause serious harm, with penalties of up to five years in prison, unlimited fines and new civil Conversion Practice Protection Orders to protect people at risk.
- New evidence cited by campaigners includes Galop’s analysis of 195 cases from 2022–2025 and YouGov data estimating about 18% of LGBTQ+ people have faced attempts to change their identity, with 76% of recorded cases initiated by family members and 81% involving coercive control.
- The bill includes explicit exemptions for legitimate healthcare and exploratory conversations, a detail welcomed by clinical figures such as Dr Hilary Cass, but critics including religious groups and free‑speech organisations warn the law’s wording could chill parents, clinicians and faith leaders and say they may seek legal challenges.
- The draft now begins public consultation and pre‑legislative scrutiny in Parliament with no set timetable for enactment, and supporters say it closes legal loopholes left since the first 2018 pledge while opponents signal sustained parliamentary and legal contestation.