It’s Not Therapy, It’s Abuse – Ban Conversion Therapy Now

Content warnings: conversion therapy, abuse, coercion, transphobia, psychological harm.

It’s been nearly five years since the UK Government first promised to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’. Yet today, more than 1.5 million LGBTQ+ people in England and Wales remain at risk of these harmful attempts to ‘cure’ us.

That's why we've launched a new short film alongside 21* other LGBTQ+ organisations, based on the real experiences of conversion therapy survivors.

Conversion therapy doesn’t work. Survivors can suffer from lifelong damage and suffering. It is abuse, pure and simple. And it has to stop.

The UK Government recently moved to put a legislative ban back on the table. But after years of U-turns and broken promises, it's vital that the UK Government does not delay any further, and publishes a draft Bill and timetable for legislation as soon as possible.

The suffering of our communities must end now. Email your MP ⬇️

*List of charities: Equality Network, Gendered Intelligence, GIRES, House of Rainbow, Intercom Trust, It Gets Better UK, LGBT Consortium, LGBT Foundation, Manchester Pride, Naz & Matt Foundation, OneBodyOneFaith, Oxford Pride UK, Peter Tatchell Foundation, Pink Therapy, Pride in London, Queer Britain, Report Out, Scottish Trans, Sparkle – The National Transgender Charity, The Kite Trust, Trans Actual UK.

Produced by Academy films. Agency The&Partnership.

Music
"It's A Sin"
Written by Neil Francis Tennant & Christopher Sean Lowe
©Published by Cage Music Ltd
Administered by Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd

Arrangement by Douglas Dare
Courtesy of Erased Tapes

[jifij]

oh wow, the fact this is still happening makes me want to be sick. how can anyone justify this? even if you don’t ‘believe’ in people being trans, how is this the correct way to treat another person???

[smittykins]

“Sign here, and you can read it later.” MAJOR red flag.

[saferoundhouse]

How can people claim to want to protect children and in then put them through this hell....

[jaybek]

A friend shared this with me. It’s shook me. Too familiar. For those of you who think it doesn’t happen, that this is just a short film.. IT HAPPENED to me.

I am a transgender man.
I grew up in a Christian family. I believed these things they told me. I believed I was fundamentally wrong. I remember thier words: “your existence is a slap to the face of an almighty powerful creator”. The stuff I went through mirrored this video so closely. Especially the prayer circle. 5 years later and I can still feel the pain and fear of these church people all around me “laying hands on me”.

When I was a teen, in this position, facing this rejection and abuse, I tried to take my life. I thought it was the right thing to do.
Looking back, I can’t believe that thought ever crossed my mind.

For me, this therapy and religious pressure cause huge invisible wounds. I’ve struggled with my mental health significantly. But it couldn’t change who I am. Even this far on, I am still working through the deepest shame I harbor. I am still healing and learning to accept myself.

Today I am just over a week on testosterone therapy. I’m incredibly proud of myself for making it this far. When I told my story at the clinic, the Dr said to me “you are incredibly resilient”. When I reflect on this it, makes me think of everyone else who has gone through similar, or who is still in that position. I fear for other people like me. I made it out of there. But not everyone does.

[zay]

This is exactly what happened to me.The only differences are being in a girl's body, in a Muslim family.

[gabiausten]

If u accept your kid is gay/trans…it’s no issue.

If u don’t…it will become the life changing, all deciding issue and you, your kid and their children will forever have to deal with it.

Conversion torture is bullying your kid into suicide and YOU will be responsible and I want u to never forget that!

[harrib]

I knew conversion therapy was bad but oh my this is literal torture. I can't imagine how horrible it would be for this to happen to me, and I hope everyone who has or is going through this can get actual help for the trauma this is bound to cause.

[fluffgirl]

I’d probably kill myself if I went through this, I feel so bad for the children that have to go through this

[MultipleStrongMinds]

“Sign this now and you can read it later”, major red flag! I hope that parents realise what has happened to their children. This is not okay, this is abuse, and it doesn’t work. It just teaches victims to hide who they truly are.

[blueizumi]

This is so sad, man I feel very bad for my LGBTQ+ children in the UK that conversion therapy is still a debate and not long since banned in all forms.

[BlackRoseRanma]

His eyes at the end...it's like they killed his soul. It's so chilling! I know it's just a film but I actually cried!

[sadmom]

I am very concerned that therapists acting like this have not already been prosecuted this already ileagal!

[jon]

It's isn't a illness, LGBTQ+ people don't need therapy to turn them straight and God had made us all different. We all human beings after all.

[horror]

thank god my mother was supportive when i came out as gay and me two sister caem out as well our mum is support but Conversion Therapy is not a very good place from what i heard and this is the evdice to ban this Abuse we did not chose to be gay bi trans cause we where born that way its like u where born with a disability that what its like but yeah we where born this way we may not no it when we littile but as we get older we start to experience human emotion towards the same sex and its human and i think that what sum idots need to see that that we are still human so yeah as a gay man this should be ban completely

[Shindai]

I've seen some powerful short films in my time but I've never had one give me chills like this did. It takes less time to watch than I spent sitting with it afterward, taking it in. I've heard such intense horror stories from autistics who were put through ABA (developed by the same guy who came up with conversion therapy and basically the same thing) as children, their struggles with identity. I don't know how well known a fact it is but David Yost, the original blue power ranger, put himself through conversion therapy and attempted suicide after. And people hate the very concept of transness so much that they'd risk their child's entire life to make them conform. People will still argue it causes no harm, and even worse, that it works at all. It's a shameful practice that should be treated with the disdain it deserves and banned from all places humans consider themselves civilised.

[markfaites]

she does not deserve this. this wonderful woman deserves none of this. nobody does! this is torture, abuse is very undermined. this is disgusting and christians say that god is all loving and that christians are good. thats why im proud to be an atheist. this. is. horrible.

[TheSurvivor]

Conversion therapy is not therapy, we must speak loud and clear and continue to fight to end the abuse of transgender people, we must destabilise the heteronormative cultures that impacts on the lives of LGBTIQ persons, including religious hatred and ignorance. No one should suffer for who they are and for who they love. The collaboration with communities makes it more important to expose the atrocities of this bad practice.

[helenajardin]

This needs to be banned! I emailed by MP twice now but haven’t had any reply, although I’m really not expecting one considering he’s a Tory and is probably supporting this so called therapy.

[sillygameronline]

I thought it said conversation therapy and for a second and got confused but good ad

[marionbainbridge]

I can’t believe that anyone could do this to their child 😢. So difficult to watch . This is child abuse