The SNP’s Equalities Spokesperson, Kirsten Oswald MP has warned Boris Johnson that failing to ban conversion therapy for transgender people will go down in history as his own “Section 28” moment for which he will never be forgiven.
Speaking after hours of chaos and confusion over the UK Government’s plans sparked by a leaked memo suggesting that they would ditch their longstanding commitment to banning conversion therapy, Kirsten Oswald MP said:
“Conversion therapy has no place in our society and we owe it to all those who have already suffered to get rid of it now before anyone else has to endure this terrible experience.
“The reports that the UK government were to scrap the proposed ban on conversion therapy were a complete betrayal of all those who have waited years for action.
“The Tories have spent four years promising to ban conversion therapy – all while listening to the very brave testimonies of those who have endured this awful practice, so for them to even speculate on simply trashing their plans to act is disgraceful.
“Especially disappointing is the plan to entirely exclude trans conversion therapy from any kind of future ban, especially at a time of heightened fear for transgender people in the UK amidst rising hate crime statistics.
“If Boris Johnson u-turns on this longstanding commitment, it will go down in history as his own Section 28 moment for which he will never be forgiven.
“And just as the Tories of today have had to apologise for their party’s deeply damaging attacks on LGBT+ rights in the past, future generations will carry the shame of Boris Johnson’s failure to do the right thing on conversion therapy.
“I’ll be looking to use all possible means in the House of Commons to raise this concern so LGBT+ communities can get the clarity they deserve from this Tory government.
“Meanwhile, the SNP Scottish Government will take steps to ban the practice in Scotland, in line with our manifesto commitment.”
