A journalist has launched a petition calling on the government to ban gay conversion therapy after his undercover investigation exposed the dangerous practice happening in the UK.
Josh Parry, the journalist behind the investigation mounted by Liverpool’s Echo newspaper, found a church in the city willing to offer him the chance to ‘cure’ himself of his homosexuality through a programme of prayer and fasting.
Josh says: “Earlier this year, the Department of Health acknowledged that conversion therapy is not only ineffective, but also dangerous. They also claimed they are already doing enough to make sure it doesn’t happen – however our investigation proved it still goes on today. So why haven’t they banned it yet?
“Studies show that those who undergo ‘conversion’ are 8.9 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts, and 5.9 times more likely to suffer depression.
“They are dangerous and do not work so we’re calling upon the government to make offering these ‘therapies’ a criminal offence and call an end to these harmful practices once and for all.”
Gay conversion therapy is already banned in Australia, Malta, Switzerland, Taiwan, and in several US states.
If the petition gets 100,000 signatures before April 27, 2018, the government will be forced to debate the matter in parliament.
To sign the petition, click here:
To see Josh’s original report, click here:
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