We’re working to ban conversion practices to make Wales a safe place for all LGBTQ+ people.
Contents
Background
The Welsh Government is opposed to conversion practices in all forms. We want every LGBTQ+ person in Wales to be treated with equal value, to be safe, and to live authentically and openly as themselves.
What are conversion practices?
‘Conversion practices’, sometimes known as ‘conversion therapy’, is used as an umbrella term to describe harmful interventions of a wide-ranging nature. All of which are based on the misconception, or on the predetermined purpose, that a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender, including gender identity, can be changed, “cured”, or suppressed.
For example, such practices are often aimed at changing a person from:
- gay, lesbian, or bisexual to heterosexual
- trans, non-binary, or gender diverse to cisgender
Depending on the context, the term is used for a range of practices and methods. These are often clandestine and therefore poorly documented.
Watch our video:
Help and support
If you or somebody you know is experiencing conversion practices, get free, confidential support from Galop’s National Conversion Therapy Support Service or call their helpline on 0800 130 3335.
There are other support services who specialise in helping victims of abuse. These include:
Welsh Government commitments
Action 3 in the LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales aims to:
“Ban all aspects of LGBTQ+ Conversion Practices.”
We have set up a Working Group on Banning Conversion Practices. The Group advises on actions to ban conversion practices in Wales.
Current action includes:
- producing a definition of conversion practices for policy and campaign purposes
- commissioning a research project on the experiences of survivors of conversion practices
- an awareness campaign of what support services are available for survivors