Peers: We must outlaw gay cure therapy at the earliest opportunity
Labour’s Lord Cashman has joined with Telegraph boss Lord Black of Brentwood, to urge the government to outlaw “deplorable” gay cure therapy.
The Lords yesterday held a debate on global LGBT rights, amid a worsening situation for LGBT people across many parts of the world.
The debate saw peers from all sides of the house call for co-operation on LGBT issues, with Labour and Tory peers both calling for gay ‘cure’ therapy to be outlawed.
Speaking in the debate, Tory peer Lord Guy Black of Brentwood urged the government to listen to recommendations to end “abusive” quack conversion therapy.
He said: “In its ground-breaking report this summer, the UN Human Rights Council made 20 recommendations to national governments as part of a ‘systematic and comprehensive approach’ to the human rights of LGBTI people.
“One of the recommendations was to end the abusive therapies and treatments to which gay men and women can be subjected, including the so-called ‘conversion therapy’. The use of such therapy is absolutely deplorable, and I am delighted that earlier this year the Prime Minister made clear his strong opposition to its use in the United Kingdom.
“But when you are dealing with bigots, I fear that words are not enough. I hope that in due course that there will be a suitable vehicle in a Bill passing through this House which will allow us to introduce measures to ban by law these grotesque and abhorrent therapies.”
Lord Cashman, Labour’s LGBT rights envoy, also confirmed his commitment to ending ‘gay cure’ therapy.
He added: “The noble Lord, Lord Black, referred to conversion therapies, which we must outlaw, and at the earliest opportunity.”
The practice of gay “cure”, or “conversion” therapy is widely criticised as harmful to recipients. At least two states in the US have passed legislation banning the practice on minors.
Earlier this year, staff at NHS England were ordered to not facilitate access to ‘gay cure’ treatments.
