The UK government has published a draft Bill aimed at outlawing abusive conversion practices in England and Wales, but survivors like Gail Yorke and Augustine Tanner-Ihm remain deeply skeptical after years of being let down by political promises and delays.
Survivors' Experiences
Gail Yorke, a 54-year-old mother from Warrington, spent decades believing she could not be both gay and Christian. She endured prayer sessions where church leaders told her a "demon" was responsible for her being a lesbian. She became engaged to a man in an attempt to prove she was "normal" and believed God could never love her because of her sexuality.
Augustine Tanner-Ihm, originally from America, came to Liverpool for a Christian internship but was subjected to weekly "support" group meetings where members were told they had "demonic and evil spirits" that needed to be removed. He recalled: “I still have deep scars from what happened to me. It's why I took so long to speak out about it. For the best part of 10 years, I didn't look in the mirror. I was under the impression this was a safe space, but it wasn't, and that still haunts me.”
Government's Draft Bill
The proposed legislation aims to close legal loopholes that campaigners say have left victims vulnerable and perpetrators able to evade justice. It includes safeguards for legitimate healthcare and therapy while creating new criminal offences targeting conduct intended to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation or transgender identity through abusive acts that cause serious harm.
Responding to the draft Bill, Augustine said: "For many of us who have survived conversion practices, this is a significant moment. It represents the culmination of nearly a decade of advocacy by survivors, clinicians, faith leaders, LGBTQ+ organisations and parliamentarians who have consistently argued that these practices cause profound psychological, spiritual and relational harm. That said, much will depend on the content of the legislation itself."
Continued Skepticism
Gail added: "A ban on conversion therapy was promised by Theresa May in 2018 and reiterated in successive Queen's and King's Speeches. Yet despite a consultation in 2021 and a promised draft Bill in 2023, meaningful action has repeatedly been delayed. Forgive me if I am sceptical about this latest move. The Government has argued that current criminal law does not prohibit all conversion practices, particularly coercive talking therapies that assume one sexuality or gender identity is preferable to another. I doubt there will be much change in this."
She further stated: "The biggest group practising conversion therapy is religious organisations, and changing the name to psychological counselling, talking therapy, spiritual counselling or guidance does not change what it is: conversion therapy. A culture that sees any LGBTQIA+ identity as sinful, wrong, abhorrent or an abomination to God is mentally and emotionally dangerous and harmful. People are still taking their own lives and being physically and verbally attacked for who they are. The Government needs to do much more to protect people and stop introducing woolly guidance, laws and bills that allow this practice to continue in any form."
Church Response
Hebe Ambler, Frontline Church's children and families pastor, previously confirmed to the ECHO that the church was aware of Augustine's concerns. She said: "These concerns were reviewed at the time, lessons were learnt and apologies were made."
