A new law to ban all forms of conversion therapy in England and Wales will include transgender people, the government says.
The ban will outlaw attempts to change someone's sexuality or gender identity.
Mental health groups have warned all types of conversion therapy are "unethical and potentially harmful".
The government had previously said transgender conversion therapy would not be included in the ban.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said in a written statement that the bill is promised shortly and "will protect everyone, including those targeted on the basis of their sexuality, or being transgender".
Ms Donelan says it is a "complex" area and legislation must not "harm the growing number of children and young adults experiencing gender-related distress, through inadvertently criminalising or chilling legitimate conversations parents or clinicians may have with their children".
"We recognise the strength of feeling on the issue of harmful conversion practices and remain committed to protecting people from these practices and making sure they can live their lives free from the threat of harm or abuse," she added.
The bill will undergo pre-legislative scrutiny by a joint committee.
Conversion therapy - sometimes called "gay cure" therapy - tries to supress someone's sexual orientation or stop them identifying as a different gender to their sex recorded at birth.
It can include talking therapies and prayer, but more extreme forms can include exorcism, physical violence and food deprivation.
It is not known exactly how widespread the practice is but 5% of 108,000 people who responded to a UK-wide LGBT survey in 2018 said they had been offered some form of conversion therapy, while 2% had undergone it.
Of the transgender respondents, 8% said they had been offered conversion therapy and 4% said they had undergone it.
Last year the government said there were worries that a ban including transgender people could have "unintended consequences" which might affect teachers, parents and therapists helping children who are struggling with their gender identity.
That decision followed the Cass Review interim report which called for a re-think of children's gender identity services in England.
However a group of mental health bodies, including the NHS, published an open letter downplaying the risk of unintended consequences and called for any ban to include all forms of conversion therapy.
Tuesday's announcement comes after the UK government blocked Scottish plans designed to make it easier for people to change their legal gender.
Minister said the draft law would conflict with equality protections applying across Great Britain.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64304142 (Archive)
From last year:
Conversion therapy: Ban to go-ahead but not cover trans people
Last edited:
