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Religious conservative group has defended gay conversion therapy

The Core Issues Trust in Ireland defended the horrific practice

By Steve Brown

A Christian conservative group has defended gay conversion therapy after Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to eradicate the practice in the UK.

Although Catholic bishops declines to comment on the subject, a Christian conservative pressure group in Northern Ireland – where it is still illegal for same-sex couples to get married – The Core Issues Trust, defended the practice which has been known to use methods such as electroshock therapy and nausea-inducing drugs.

In a statement, they said: “Some wish to modify behaviours and renounce as false the identity they formerly described as ‘gay’.

“Some are married and have children and wish to maintain the integrity of such marriages. The Trust supports the rights of autonomous individuals to take the pathways that reflect their goals and values.”

However, many other religious dominations welcomed the Prime Minister’s promise to make gay conversion therapy illegal.

A spokesperson for the Church of England said: “We warmly welcome the Government commitment to eradicate gay conversion therapy in this country.

“As a motion endorsed overwhelmingly by the Church of England’s General Synod last summer concludes, the practice is unethical, potentially harmful and has no place in the modern world.”

Martin Pendergast of the group LGBT+ Catholics Westminster told The Tablet: “This is long overdue from the Government.

“Many LGBT groups have been urging this action on so-called reparative therapies for some years. The Government has finally caught up with professional counselling organisations.”