UK Pledges Trans-Inclusive Conversion Therapy Ban in King’s Speech

The United Kingdom government has again pledged to introduce a ban on conversion therapy, with the proposed legislation explicitly including protections for transgender people. The commitment was announced as part of the 2026 King’s Speech, which outlines the government’s legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary session.

A Draft Conversion Practices Bill was included in the speech delivered by King Charles III on behalf of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government. The proposal would apply in England and Wales and would ban what the government described as “abusive conversion practices” targeting both sexual orientation and gender identity.

“My Government will bring forward a Bill to speed up remediation for people living in homes with unsafe cladding and a draft Bill to ban abusive conversion practices,” the address read.

an addendum to the speech clarified that the ban would apply to attempts to change both sexual orientation and gender identity: “Conversion practices are abuse, and the government will deliver the manifesto commitment to bring forward a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.”

The proposal marks the fifth time in eight years that a UK government has pledged to ban conversion therapy, following previous commitments made under successive governments since 2018. Advocacy groups have criticised repeated delays to legislation, while campaigners have continued to call for a trans-inclusive ban.

Reports following the announcement stated the government intends to ensure the legislation does not interfere with “legitimate healthcare” for people exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Conversion practices, also known as Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts (SOGICE), are described by Amnesty International Australia as practices that target LGBTQIA+ people “with the false ideology that their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender and sexual expression can be changed or suppressed”. Amnesty states these practices can include verbal abuse, coercion, aversion therapy and other forms of harmful treatment.

In Australia, conversion practices laws differ between states and territories. Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and NSW have all introduced bans or restrictions on conversion practices, while advocacy organisations continue to campaign for nationally consistent protections. NSW’s Conversion Practices Ban Act came into force in April 2025, making LGBTQA conversion practices unlawful in the state.