Organizers say at least 3,000 people attended the event in the capital, and similar action took place in Belfast and Dublin on Sunday. It follows the government’s partial reversal of plans to lift the ban on conversion therapy altogether – it was revealed exclusively by ITV News. Ministers now say the ban on conversion therapy for lesbians, gays and bisexuals will go ahead, but conversion therapy for trans people will still be allowed. There has been widespread condemnation of the plans, as ministers have made it clear that trans people will not be included in the ban. Last week there were high-profile resignations and the cancellation of the government’s international LGBT + conference, Safe To Be Me 2022, after a hundred top organizations withdrew from the event. Addressing the Belfast rally, John O’Doherty, director of the Rainbow Project, said that if conversion therapy was wrong for lesbians, gays and bisexuals, then it was wrong for trans people. He said: “I think it’s important to send a message to Westminster. “We are sending a message to Boris Johnson and we are in solidarity with our organizations throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. “We stand in solidarity today to make it clear to this government that it must stop the damage. “They have to end the conversion treatment. “If conversion therapy is wrong for lesbians, homosexuals and bisexuals, then it is wrong for our trans and non-binary communities.” Organizers say thousands watched the protest in London – with similar demonstrations taking place elsewhere. Credit: ITV News In London, protesters held placards and banners reading “Pride is a protest”, “No ban without trans” and “No excuse for abuse”. One of the former key government advisers on LGBT + issues was at the rally on Sunday. Iain Anderson resigned as LGBT business champion earlier this week, telling ITV News that the government was “trying to put a wedge” between trans and lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Jayne Ozanne, another former member of the government’s LGBT + advisory committee, was also at the protest. He left the panel last year, telling ITV News that the UK government has created a “hostile environment” for LGBT + people. Boris Johnson last week stood firm in his government’s decision to exclude trans people from protection against conversion therapy. The prime minister told reporters: “I do not think it’s reasonable for children to be considered as Gillick capable of making decisions about their gender or the irreversible treatments they may have. I think there should be little parental involvement. . “ He added: “It is vital that we give people as much love and support as possible in making these decisions. “But these are complex issues and I do not think they can be resolved with a quick and easy piece of legislation. It takes a lot of thought to get it right.” Commenting earlier on the decision, Downing Street said that trans conversion treatment would be outlawed because it is a “legally complex area … especially in the case of under-18s”.
