Queen Elizabeth II promised to ban conversion therapy in a Tuesday speech before both Houses of Parliament.
“Measures will be brought forward to address racial and ethnic disparities and ban conversion therapy,” the Queen said in the speech.
A set of practices also referred to as “gay cure therapy” or “reparative therapy” are aimed at changing one’s sexual orientation or suppressing their their gender identity, according to NHS England.
“Measures will be brought forward to address racial and ethnic disparities and ban conversion therapy”
The Queen outlines government plans to ban so-called conversion therapy#QueensSpeech: https://t.co/riukVuKqsj pic.twitter.com/BdQYVJxvjj
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 11, 2021
While many forms of conversion therapy are already outlawed under the current UK law, the proposed ban is expected to ensure that it is eradicated once and for all. (RELATED: SCHILLING: Bans On ‘Conversion Therapy’ Are Really About Locking Kids Into Transgenderism)
“We want to make sure that people in this country are protected, and these proposals mean nobody will be subjected to coercive and abhorrent conversion therapy,” Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss said Tuesday following the queen’s remarks.
“Alongside this legislation, we will make new funding available to ensure that victims have better access to the support they need,” she added.
Former Prime Minister Theresa May’s government vowed to eliminate conversion therapy as part of its LGBT equality plan. In addition, Prime Minister Boris Johnson floated the possibility of a ban last summer, according to BBC.
However, both governments have previously been accused of “dragging its feet” for the slow pace of the progress on the matter, BBC reported.