According to the British Psychological Society (BPS), conversion practices, sometimes called “reparative therapy” or “gay recovery therapy”, aim to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
In practice, this means trying to stop or prevent someone from becoming gay or identifying as a gender other than the sex assigned at birth.
It often includes talk therapy and prayer, but more extreme forms can exist.
The BPS and other professional bodies, including NHS England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, have said all forms of religious conversion are “unethical and potentially harmful”.
The bill would make it a criminal offense to provide conversion therapy or force conversion behavior to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
It would also be an offense to remove a person from Northern Ireland with a view to subjecting him to conversion.
The definition of coercive behavior is taken from the Domestic Violence and Civil Procedure (Northern Ireland) Act 2021.
It includes aggressive or threatening behavior, humiliating the victim, or controlling the victim’s daily activities.