Today our Scottish Parliament public petition to end conversion therapy was published.

It calls on Scotland to ban the provision or promotion of the cruel and abusive practice of LGBT+ conversion therapy in Scotland.

https://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/EndingConversionTherapy

Please sign and share this widely.

Many people will be shocked to discover conversion therapy has not already been banned. It's worse than that. It remains common.

In 2015 10% of health and care staff witnessed colleagues saying LGB people can be "cured".

In 2018 it was promoted on a Church website in Scotland.

Cw: Suicide

In 2018:
- 20.7% of LGB people had been advised to consider attempts to change their orientation.
- 3.5% had been forced to be subject to this abuse.
- Almost two thirds of those suffered from mental health issues as a result.
- Nearly a third had attempted suicide.

Over half of people subject to this cruel and abusive practice believe it should be made a criminal offence. Another quarter believe it should be otherwise ended.

It is clear conversion therapy is a risk to public health, especially vulnerable young adults and children.

The British Government has not acted. Instead recently minister Elizabeth Truss MP has adopted the anti-trans rhetoric of hate groups in a way that will only ensure the expansion of providers and efforts to pressure people with trans identities to undergo this horrific practice.

There is broad support for its criminalisation by those who have been subjected to it, and, as healthcare and criminal justice matter, we believe it to be within the scope of the Scottish Government’s powers to ensure this practice is brought to an end.

I worked with four other petititoners to bring this to Scottish Parliament.

We can end conversion therapy in Scotland. There should be no excuses made for preventing the continued abuse of LGBT+ people through this vile practice.

A comment on process - Unlike Westminster there is no signature requirement for petitions. Our petition will be considered by the public petitions committee as it has already been accepted.

Public support will help convince that committee to act and progress this to law.

The MSPs sitting on the petitions committee are:
- Johann Lamont (Convener) Labour
- Gail Ross (Deputy Convener) SNP
- Maurice Corry (Member) Conservatives
- Tom Mason (Member) Conservatives
- David Torrance (Member) SNP

@StonewallScot @LGBTIQAGreens @LGBTYS @ScottishTrans @patrickharvie @lornagreens would appreciate a signal boost if you're up for it.