Conversion therapy is a form of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) that attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual, or to change their gender identity from transgender or non-binary to cisgender. The practice is built on the false premise that being LGBTQ+ is a mental illness or a developmental flaw that can and should be “cured.” It can range from talk therapy and prayer groups to extreme and physically abusive techniques, such as aversion therapy. Major medical, psychiatric, and psychological organizations worldwide have overwhelmingly rejected conversion therapy. Research consistently shows that it is completely ineffective and causes severe psychological harm, including high rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide. Because of these dangers, dozens of countries have banned or heavily restricted the practice.
Amongst all the many dubious SCAM therapies, conversion therapy must be amongst the most vile, as discussed previously several times, e.g.:
- “Gay exorcism” and conversion therapy by the “Forward In Faith Church International Incorporated” in Scotland
- The ‘Association of Catholic Doctors’ and homeopathic conversion therapy
- Conversion therapy is ‘despicable and degrading’. IT SHOULD BE BANNED EVERYWHERE
Now the Church of England has decided to permit a General Synod event promoting “sexual identity transformation”, i.e. conversion therapy. Entitled “People Change: Sexual Identity Transformation”, the event features Matthew Grech, who claims to have left behind a homosexual lifestyle. Hosted by General Synod member Rebecca Hunt, the meeting highlights speakers who claim to have experienced “positive, beneficial change,” aligning with the Church’s traditional teaching on marriage. Although the Church cancelled an associated exhibition stand, the meeting itself is going ahead despite a 2017 Synod vote overwhelmingly rejecting conversion therapy.
This story unfolded shortly after the UK Government published its draft Conversion Practices Bill, aimed at banning abusive attempts to alter a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Humanists UK have long advocated for a comprehensive, loophole-free ban on these discredited and harmful practices, which seek to change, suppress, or “cure” LGBT individuals through coercive counselling, pseudo-psychological interventions, or intense prayer.
Crucially, data from the National LGBT Survey highlights that faith groups are the primary setting for conversion therapy. Furthermore, the LGBT+ charity Galop has documented numerous cases of faith-based conversion abuse.
Laura Newlyn, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Humanists UK, emphasized that conversion practices cause lasting harm, particularly to young and vulnerable individuals facing intense pressure from religious communities. She rejected the idea that these practices constitute harmless pastoral care or ordinary prayer, stressing that most of the public, including most Christians, support a ban. Humanists UK maintains that any effective legislation must fully cover religious settings and eliminate exemptions for “consent” or religious practices to ensure all LGBT individuals are protected from abuse.
11 Responses to The Church of England promotes “conversion therapy”
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Have you dug into the actual evudence of conversion therapy occurence and into Galup’s “evidence”? Disappointing that you don’t seem to have done so because you’d uncover a proposal that would criminalise parents and medical professionals daring to ask children if the child’s belief that they are a member of the oposite sex (“born in the wrong body”) was actually just a struggle with their sexuality. Effeminate boys are not girls, tomboy girls are not boys. I’d expect a much better understanding of the bias and questionable evidence in this field from you.
you might have noticed that the current post refers to 3 previous ones on the same subject.
I have. I don’t believe they help. This Bill is not just about preventing the more traditional process of discouraging homosexuality. It covers the scenario where a child, say a male, who is concerned by his attraction to other males, is encouraged to identify as female because that’s mire acceptable to all involved.
The Bill would criminalise the ability of parents, or clinicians, to question this transition. It’s a nasty homophobic Bill with little evidence (see the evidence sessions provided to Holyrood) that conveniently conflates conversion therapy focused on sexuality (statistically small numbers & usually covered by existing legislation, with conversion therapy to dissuade a person from declaring themselves as the opposite sex (even less statistically likely). 2 different situations.
“Crucially, data from the National LGBT Survey highlights that faith groups are the primary setting for conversion therapy. Furthermore, the LGBT+ charity Galop has documented numerous cases of faith-based conversion abuse”. This sort of statement conflates the 2 scenario without challenging the basis if the “data”.
… and my post is not primarily about the bill but about the Church of England’s promotion of conversion therapy.
And I’m just trying to clarify that the language being used, “conversion therapy”, covers multiple scenarios. Whilst we can all agree that trying to dissuade someone from their innate sexuality is unacceptable, the term also includes the process of just discussing a person’s “gender identity”, particularly if a transition is proposed as a route to make their innate sexuality more acceptable.
yet, you are mistaken: Legally, medically, and scientifically, conversion therapy refers to practices explicitly designed to change, suppress, or eliminate a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Thom, I wonder if you have read “Time to Think. The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock’s Gender Service for Children”, by Hannah Barnes (Swift Press 2023)?
Naturally. The comment about running out of gay children and “transing the gay away” is exactly the point I was trying to make. And this Bill would enable the continuation of just that and prevent a reasonable parental or clinical challenge to that process.
The term “sexual identity transformation” is in my opinion a deliberately obfuscatory use of language, probably to protect organisations and ‘practitioners’ from being charged with consumer fraud.
It is notable that immediately following the successful consumer fraud case brought in 2012 by the Southern Poverty Law Center in the USA against JONAH, an organisation selling ‘conversion therapy’, the website of NARTH (originally the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) changed its wording to a much more bland and ambiguous form of words talking about “exploring change”.
One by one in the USA, those prominently involved in promoting and/or selling “therapy” to change the direction of the sex drive, have admitted that their own sexual orientation never changed, nor did they know of anyone who had experienced such a change. Alan Chambers, who was formerly chairman of EXODUS, an umbrella body of individuals and organisations promoting ‘therapy’, some years ago admitted that his orientation had not changed, nor did he know of any such cases.
Mr Chambers has just recently been arrested for soliciting sex with a (male) minor. (This NOT to connect same-sex desire with predatory paedophilia – it’s just to make the point that it was a boy, not a girl, that he wanted to ‘hook up’ with)
When an organisation talks about “sexual identity” in any context about ‘change efforts’, it immediately strikes one as dishonest and obfuscatory in its aims. Alan Chambers (and John Paulk, and Jon Smid of Love in Action in Tennessee, and many others), may have had a heterosexual IDENTITY, being married to a member of the opposite sex, and saying that they now desired the opposite sex instead of the same sex. But all the while, as they later explained, that heterosexual identity was FAKE – they had experienced no change whatever in the direction of the sex drive.
When you are selling a “therapy” that you know does not work, that is consumer fraud.
Psychology or Psychiatry consultations to treat sexually compulsive behaviour, are a different thing.
I don’t seem to be able to reply directly? I assume that’s not an IT blip?
“yet, you are mistaken: Legally, medically, and scientifically, conversion therapy refers to practices explicitly designed to change, suppress, or eliminate a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”
On that we agree. However, the comment about “transing the gay away” was used by a gender identity clinic for kids. Parents took their children, who they believed were showing signs of homosexuality. The preference was to transition children so they were apparently heterosexual, rather than actually.homosexual. and if it was questioned you were deemed transphobic instead of, in reality, being homophobic. Conversion therapy is far darker than it is being presented.
when you are in a hole, stop digging!