Mermaids condemns the government’s decision to back-track on its promises to the LGBT+ communities to ban all forms of conversion abuse. By actively excluding trans and non-binary people from the ban, the government has decided to condone conversion abuse for our community.

The government’s own data illustrates that trans people are at an unparalleled risk of being victim to this abhorrent practice. This decision allows conversion abusers to keep harming trans people without punishment. Such a decision secures decades of future abuse, pain and suffering. It is a dark moment in the history of LGBT+ rights in this country. 

Notes to editors:

1. The Government committed to banning conversion therapy for all LGBT people in May 2021 after over 1000 days of delay following an initial promise in their 2018 LGBT Action Plan. 
2. On 31 March 2022, Trans Day of Visibility, the Government changed its position to only committing to ban conversion therapy for gay and bisexual individuals. 

Mermaids is a UK-wide charity (registered charity number 1160575) working to support transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people, their families and the professionals who support them. Their goal is to create a world where gender-diverse children and young people can be themselves and thrive.