King Charles Calls Conversion Therapy 'Abusive' as UK Finally Moves to Ban It After Years of Delays

King Charles confirmed the UK government's plan to ban conversion therapy during the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, but the announcement marks the fourth time in eight years that a sitting government has pledged to end the practice without delivering.

'My government will bring forward a draft bill to ban abusive conversion practices,' the King said in his address to the House of Lords, reading from legislation prepared by Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government. An addendum to the speech declared that 'conversion practices are abuse' and committed to a trans-inclusive ban covering both sexual orientation and gender identity.

The government defines conversion therapy as any effort to change, modify, or suppress a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, regardless of the setting. The proposed Draft Conversion Practices Bill will apply to England and Wales only and will undergo pre-legislative scrutiny before formal introduction to Parliament, a process that could add months before it reaches a vote. Officials said the ban would be 'carefully targeted' to avoid interfering with legitimate healthcare.

A Promise Made by Four Prime Ministers

Theresa May's government first pledged to ban conversion therapy in 2018. Boris Johnson's administration backed a ban in 2022 but tried to exclude gender identity from its scope. Rishi Sunak dropped the commitment from his 2023 King's Speech. Labour included a trans-inclusive ban in its 2024 manifesto and repeated it in last year's King's Speech, but the session ended without a draft bill being published.

Why Advocates Won't Celebrate Yet

Stonewall, a leading LGBTQ+ advocacy group, criticised the government on 30 April for missing its own deadline. 'Four different prime ministers have promised to ban these abhorrent conversion practices, so this is an unacceptable position to be in,' chief executive Simon Blake said. 'We should not have to wait any longer. Conversion practices are abuse. LGBTQ+ people do not need fixing or changing.'

The group acknowledged Wednesday's renewed pledge but didn't hold back. 'As another parliamentary session ends, another government fails on its commitment to ban conversion practices,' Stonewall and the Ban Conversion Practices Coalition said in April. 'There is no place for this abuse in the UK.'

Opposition Already Forming

Not everyone welcomed the news. The LGB Alliance, which promotes the rights of lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people as defined by biological sex, said it opposes coercive practices but questioned why new legislation is needed when existing laws already cover assault, coercion, harassment, and safeguarding failures. The group warned that a trans-inclusive ban would leave 'same-sex attracted people, vulnerable young people and those struggling with trauma, identity or mental health issues with fewer options for support.'

Christian group CARE raised separate concerns, saying the bill threatens the ability of Christians to 'articulate Biblical views about sexuality and gender.'

Starmer's Political Tightrope

The announcement lands at a precarious moment for Starmer. Labour lost more than 1,400 council seats in local elections on 7 May, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from Cabinet on Thursday, saying he had 'lost confidence' in the prime minister's leadership. More than 80 Labour lawmakers have called for Starmer to resign or set a departure timetable.

The conversion therapy ban is one of the few manifesto commitments where Starmer can point to progress. But the draft bill's pre-legislative stage means it won't become law any time soon. For LGBTQ+ communities and families who have waited since 2018, the question hasn't changed. Will this government actually follow through?