Northern Ireland Assembly votes for ban on LGBT 'conversion therapy' - but DUP minister cites human rights concerns

The Assembly has once again backed a motion calling on the Executive to ban LGBT "conversion therapy".

The motion, moved by SDLP MLA Colin McGrath this week, said that the Assembly “deplores harmful and damaging conversion practices are still legal in Northern Ireland" and recognises they can "take many forms and can occur in a variety of settings".

It also noted the findings from the May 2024 publication, 'A Study of Conversion Practices in Northern Ireland', by academics Professor Fidelma Ashe and Dr Danielle Mackle.

The report was commissioned by Minister Deirdre Hargey when she was Minister for Communities and strongly urged banning “conversion therapy” - a term which is contested by critics.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, of the DUP, said there were real legal difficulties in defining conversion therapy for legislation.Photo: PA

The motion also reaffirmed the Assembly support for "a ban on conversion practices in all forms" and called on the current Minister to bring forward legislation.

UUP leader Doug Beattie had a similar indicative motion passed by 59 votes to 24 in 2021.

Mr Beattie, Sinn Fein, the SDLP, Alliance and People Before Profit strongly backed the new motion on Tuesday, which passed 41 votes to 25.

A proposed DUP amendment to allow individuals to voluntarily seek "prayerful and pastoral support" and to respect freedom of religion and speech, was rejected.

Alliance MLA Eoin Tennyson said such therapy has been discredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), NHS England, the Association of Christians in Counselling (ACC) among many others across the globe.

The MLA said that "perpetrators of conversion therapy prey on internalised feelings of fear and shame in those struggling with who they are, often taking advantage of young, vulnerable LGBT people".

However TUV leader Jim Allister expressed concern that the motion would outlaw consent to clerical prayer and counselling.

"One of my issues with the motion is its lack of definition," he said. "Some Members have been anxious to say that it does not apply to faith issues or anything else, but that is not what the motion says."

He said the motion was “centred” on the DFC commissioned report, which he said includes the testimony of an individual “who complained that they experienced prayer, Bible studies and teaching".

The MLA added: "That is offered in the report as an example of conversion practices".

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons (DUP) noted that the UK, Scotland and Republic of Ireland have all been trying to ban the practice, but said there are potential conflicts with human rights on freedom of religion and speech.

"Each of those jurisdictions has experienced difficulties in arriving at a precise definition of conversion practices and of what a potential ban would include,” he said.

"The matter of freedom of rights is a significant one that also has to be carefully considered, and it is a matter that we have to approach cautiously as we progress policy on this issue."

He said the report commissioned by DFC looked only at "one side" of the issues.

"Yes, we have this report in front of us, but it is very much one side of the overall conversation that needs to take place," he added.

To MLAs who pressed him to pass legislation quickly - and who claimed the research had already been done via the DFC report - he noted that a statutory public consultation would have to take place first.