The first duty of any government is to protect its citizens from harm. In this duty the government is clearly failing LGBT people. It is also failing LGBT people in its duty to LGBT people as a protected group under the Public Sector Equality Duty of the 2010 Equalities Act to provide the supportive help that LGBT people need in the NHS. LGBT people are NOT sick—-but the attitudes of some in society towards them are—-and it is this that they need help in coping with. Similarly the Government is failing in its duty to LGBT youngsters in schools by not making LGBT inclusive education part of the PHSE programme and even failing to make THAT an obligatory part of the school curriculum. This failure fuels homophobia in schools and this in turn leads to some youngsters in desperation to seek such quackery as conversion therapy and others to commit suicide.The NHS and the education service should be helping them to be happy
being who they are.

Since a small group of us in Hull started campaigning against Conversion Therapy last year we have come a long way. Thanks to the efforts of Sandra Osborne, Diana Johnson and MPs of all parties there has been growing opposition to conversion therapy in parliament. We have had a public petition, an EDM, this debate and shortly a Private Members Bill—-but I suspect that for the present the government will not budge.

We need therefore to have a meaningful debate on the way forward –not only to outlaw Conversion Therapy but also to ensure that LGBT people are receiving the help that they should be in education and in the NHS.The government is breaking its duty under the PSED and is failing to protect LGBT people from harm when it is perfectly capable of doing so. For under 18s the government is simply aiding and abetting child abuse. It must be brought to account and we have to do it. The campaign has only just started. Where do we go from here?

By Colin Livett.