UK government says it won’t outlaw ‘gay cure therapy’
By Will Stroude
The British government says it has no plans to outlaw so-called gay ‘cure’ therapy.
A petition created but Mollie Mantle and signed by 33,000 Brits calling for the abusive practice to be made illegal has been rejected by the UK government this week, who condemned the use of such therapy but argued that there are already regulations in place to stop people being referred to those who practice it.
The petition didn’t get to the 100,000 signatories needed for the issue to be discussed in parliament, but the Department for Health issues a response to it, saying: “The Government fully recognise the importance of this issue and the adverse impact this treatment could have on lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
“There is no evidence that this sort of treatment is beneficial, and indeed it may well cause significant harm to some patients.
“It is incumbent on professionals working in the National Health Service to ensure that treatment and care, including therapy, is provided to every patient without any form of discrimination.”
They continue: “This Government is committed to tackling discrimination towards LGB people.
“That is why we have already worked with the main registration and accreditation bodies for psychotherapy and counselling practitioners, including the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), to develop first a consensus statement and then a Memorandum of Understanding committing signatory organisations to a range of activities including training and awareness raising amongst their members in relation to this issue.”
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