The UK government has introduced a long-awaited draft bill that would ban abusive conversion practices aimed at changing or suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity in England and Wales.
If passed, the proposed law would make it a criminal offense to carry out abusive conversion practices, with offenders facing up to five years in prison and unlimited fines. It would also make it illegal to take or send someone abroad to undergo such practices.
The government says the legislation is necessary because existing laws do not specifically address conversion practices or the harm they can cause. In addition to creating new criminal offenses, the bill would introduce legal protection orders designed to help safeguard people who may be at risk before abuse takes place.
What Happens Next
The draft bill has been welcomed by many LGBTQ+ campaigners, who say it is a long-overdue step toward protecting people from harmful practices.
Anti-LGBTQ+ abuse charity Galop reported receiving more than 300 calls related to conversion practices between 2022 and 2025. According to the organization, reported cases included coercive control, physical violence, forced marriages and people being taken overseas to undergo conversion practices.
At the same time, some religious groups and campaigners have expressed concerns that the legislation could affect prayer, counseling and conversations about sex and gender, even when they are consensual. The government has said the bill will not criminalize legitimate healthcare or supportive conversations, and that only abusive acts intended to change a person’s identity would be covered under the law.
The draft legislation will now undergo parliamentary scrutiny before lawmakers debate and vote on whether it should become law.
