Stonewall have gone live with their call for evidence on conversion therapy, hoping to bring to light the reality that being gay is still considered an illness by some in the medical profession in the UK today.
Last November, Mike Freer MP raised his concerns with the Government in a Westminster Hall debate about the fact it is still currently legal for an NHS health professional to refer a patient for psychotherapy ‘treatment’ for being gay.
Stonewall, PinkNews, Buzz Feed News and Mike Freer will be working together to advance the campaign to have the practice banned. A collection of evidence is only a first step, but it is a significant one.
The data gathered will be presented to the Department of Health as hard evidence of real life experiences of how the current law fails to safeguard vulnerable members of the LGBT community.
The evidence will also be instrumental in lobbying those health care bodies and organisations, not already signatories, to sign up to the expanded Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy which is set to be published in February 2016 as a symbol of solidarity condemning the current practice.
Mike Freer commented: “It is simply abhorrent that in Britain today being gay is still regarded as something which can be medically cured.
“I welcome the collaborative effort on behalf of the LGBT media and campaign organisation Stonewall, to advance the campaign to ban gay conversion therapy in the UK.
“I hope those who have personal experiences of undergoing so-called gay cures will be courageous and come forward and share their stories.”
You can view the Stonewall page here