The Church of England has “warmly welcomed” a commitment by the British Government to eradicate gay conversion therapy.
The government pledged on Tuesday that it would end the use of gay conversion therapy as part of its LGBT Action Plan in which the therapy was described as an “abhorrent practice”. Some two per cent of respondents to the Government’s national LGBT survey said they had undergone conversion therapy and a further five per cent said they had been offered it.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Church of England said that a motion endorsed overwhelmingly at the church’s General Synod last summer concluded that the practice was “unethical, potentially harmful and has no place in the modern world”.
“Since then the Church of England has pressed the Government to consider outlawing the practice…” the spokesperson said. “As we await the detail of any proposals, we also welcome the recognition that any steps taken should not have the unintended consequence of preventing people seeking spiritual support from their faith leader in the exploration of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
