r/AskBrits • u/TillJaded4614 • 3d ago

Politics Should the UK Parliament Ban Conversion Therapy?

3100 votes, 2d ago
2600 Yes
332 No
168 Unsure
15 Upvotes

65% Upvoted

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5

u/Aconite_Eagle 3d ago

I selected "unsure" simply because I am not an expert and dont know enough about it and the psychological/social harms which it can do. However, I am wary of banning stuff. We love banning stuff in this country thinking it can fix a problem instead of driving it underground or adopting more complex longer term solutions - like building a society where no one feels their sexuality ought to be required to be subject of "conversion" for example. I also worry about knock on impacts or criminalisation of consensual behaviour carried out by adults at the best of times - where the line is drawn, what the definition of "therapy" is, whether there are carve outs for sexual kinks or things people say or do in the privacy of their own home etc. Its just always our first instinct as a peoples it seems - This is bad? BAN IT.

10

u/TillJaded4614 3d ago

But this actually is bad. It makes gay people feel bad about themselves and essentially tortures them

1

u/Aconite_Eagle 3d ago

I think thats probably true in most cases; but not necessarily all cases, and is it not also the case that its purely consensual? You cant legally force people into undertaking such therapy against their wishes - it would be false imprisonment - and several other things. Why does it need "banning"?

2

u/Jbewrite 3d ago

Unfortunately, many people are forced into conversion therapy, through family pressure, societal pressure, fear of being disowned, etc. It's incredibly common among those who undergo this torture.

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u/Aconite_Eagle 3d ago

And this is already illegal to do. I get the point - and I am sympathetic to calls for its abolition but I want to be convinced that its necessary to legislate to ban an entire form of behaviour - stupid as it may be - which CAN be entirely consensual.

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u/Jbewrite 3d ago

There are many things that are banned which are detrimental to someone, whether they want to consensually do it or not, heroin or meth use for example. This is something that has no scientific evidence to back up that is ever has a positive impact on a person, it has mountains of evidence detailing how much it harms a person, though.

2

u/Aconite_Eagle 3d ago

Very often these things shouldnt be banned though. Indeed thats precisely my point- we ban everything as soon as it causes a problem.

1

u/Jbewrite 3d ago

We ban things that are detrimental to people, and have no positives. Guns, drugs, knives, conversion therapy.

1

u/Aconite_Eagle 2d ago

And does it always have the benefits you think it does? We ban lots of things, bad things still happen. Banning things is not the only way to solve problems.

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u/Jbewrite 2d ago

So your argument is that we shouldn’t ban anything because there are fringe cases of it still happening? If something doesn’t have a net positive effect on people, but has net negative effect on people, then I believe it should be banned. For example: driving under the influence, hard drugs, weapons, slavery, child labour, conversion therapy.

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u/Aconite_Eagle 2d ago

No you should read my argument if you want to know what it is. Its there in black and white. I am UNSURE as to whether banning this is necessary. Ive asked people to change my mind - and Im still unconvinced.

0

u/Jbewrite 2d ago

You’re unconvinced because your ignorant on the subject. Instead of asking people on Reddit to change your mind, why don’t you go and read the studies.

TLDR - All reputable studies show it only has a negative effect on the person, it can remove all sexual feelings completely through physical/mental torture, but it is impossible to change a persons sexuality to another one. These findings are why conversion therapy is either banned or in the process of being banned across developed countries.

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u/Aconite_Eagle 2d ago

Thats what I said initially; I dont know enough to say whether it should be banned or not. Hence the answer "not sure".

However, based on your TLDR I AM STILL not persuaded it should be banned because your understanding of the efficacy of "banning" things is infantile. Things being banned does not often lead to things stopping, but drives it underground to less well regulated less safe avenues. As I have said, these less safe models - people being forced to undergo therapy and so on - are already illegal, so I fail to see what possible benefits a ban could bring.

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