In England They Have Turned A Ban On Conversion Therapy Upside Down.

Here in the US we have ban conversion therapy trying to make us “straight again” while in Britain it may mean a ban on treating us.
There is a lot of confusion around the bill and it is very vague the reports coming out of England.

Persuading children to change gender identity will become illegal in wake of legal battle over NHS clinic giving puberty-blockers to under 16s

• Trying to convince under 16s to change gender will soon become illegal
• Liz Truss has announced a consultation on banning 'archaic' conversion therapy
• The equalities minister says there is 'no place for the abhorrent practice'
• Violent forms of the therapy are already covered under other offences in the UK
• The Government's six-week public consultation will close on December 10

Daily Mail
By Dan Sales
29 October 2021


Adults who try to persuade children to change gender identity will be breaking the law under new legislation set to come in.

Liz Truss, the equalities minister, has announced a six-week consultation on how to legislate against the practice of trying to change someone's sexual preferences through counselling.

It will also further outlaw gay conversion therapy, which is already covered under other offences.

Some have interpreted that the new law could cause difficulties for transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse advocacy groups.
[…]
Lui Asquith, Director of Legal and Policy at Mermaids said: 'The Government has made it clear they intend to protect all LGB and T individuals from conversion therapies – this is welcome and right.'

But Pink News has another take on it.

4 glaring red flags from the Tory government’s proposed so-called conversion therapy ban
On Friday (29 October), the UK government finally published its consultation document for a conversion therapy ban. Unfortunately, it is littered with red flags.
By Lily Wakefield
October 29, 2021


The consultation will run for six weeks, and will seek the opinion of the public on the details of legislating for a ban on the discredited and traumatising practice of so-called conversion therapy.

The UK’s LGBT+ community has been waiting for more than three years for a ban, since it was promised by the Conservatives in 2018, but some elements of the consultation are concerning.

The conversion therapy consultation repeatedly refers to attempts to convert people ‘to being transgender’
[…]
At first glance, the promise of a “universal” conversion therapy ban seems positive, but as there is no evidence that conversion therapy to attempt to change someone “from not being transgender to being transgender” is taking place in the UK, the wording is suspicious.

The idea that children are being coerced into “becoming” trans is a popular anti-trans talking point, a myth which suggests that affirming trans and gender non-conforming kids will cause them to be trans when they otherwise would not have been.

The idea is referenced six times throughout the document.

The article then goes on to say,

It later adds: “The government is determined to ensure that no person is put on a clinical pathway that is not right for them, and that young people are supported in exploring their identity without being encouraged towards one particular path.

“Forcing or coercing a person into this position would be considered conversion therapy.”

I don’t think that the British trans community can afford to take a wait and see attitude, I think that they have to be proactive to find out what the document actually means that they need to have it spelled out in the legislation.