Poll finds support for UK conversion therapy ban falls sharply when implications are explained

A new poll suggests that public support for a ban on conversion therapy falls sharply once people are told what such a ban could cover. The poll of 4,201 adults in Britain was conducted by Whitestone on behalf of The Christian Institute. Initially, 51 per cent of respondents said they supported a potential ban.

Pollsters then set out a number of possible uses of the law. The examples included penalising a father who prays with his son to stop him watching pornography, a minister advising a man not to leave his wife for another man, and a same-sex attracted person advocating celibacy. According to the article, legal experts consider each of these scenarios possible under such a law. When 15 scenarios were presented, support fell from 51 per cent to three per cent. Among Labour voters, support dropped from 57 per cent to four per cent.

The poll found that some scenarios drew less objection than others. Among Labour voters, for example, 40 per cent saw no problem with a religious minister being penalised for advising a man not to leave his wife for another man.

The Christian Institute said the results show how little the public understand the proposed ban. It argued that legitimate opposition to coercion and abuse could be used as a cover for imposing criminal sanctions on ordinary parents and preachers.

Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of The Christian Institute, said that Labour voters “initially appear supportive of a ‘conversion practices’ bill,” but that when asked about concrete situations in which private conversations, prayer, pastoral advice and personal opinions could become criminal matters, “that support melts away.” He called on ministers to be open with the public about the offences under consideration, saying that honesty about what the law might cover is needed before Parliament creates new criminal offences, a plain duty of speaking truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

He added that “when people are faced with the potential consequences, support for a conversion practices law collapses.”

Source: Read the original report