Voters oppose government plans to exclude trans people from conversion therapy ban

YouGov reports on a new poll it has carried out:

The government has been under fire recently for watering down a long-promised ban on conversion therapy, where individuals attempt to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity, by excluding transgender conversion therapy from the proposed legislation. The move has angered campaigners and LGBT rights organisations and split the Conservative party, with LGBT Tories pledging to not stop campaigning until Downing Street confirms trans people will be included in conversion therapy bans.

While on this issue the government seems to draw distinction between lesbian, gay and bisexual people compared to trans people, Britons do not. New YouGov/The Times research shows Britons would support a ban on conversion therapy at about the same rate for both sexual orientation and gender identity, with widespread support across parties and social groups.

Two-thirds of Britons (65%) say conversion therapy where people seek to change someone’s sexual orientation should be banned, while 62% say conversion therapy to change someone’s gender identity should be banned. Only 14% say each practice should not be banned, while 22-23% are unsure…

Six in 10 of those who currently intend to vote Conservative (58%) say conversion therapy to change someone’s gender identity should be banned, about the same as the number who say sexual orientation conversion therapy should be banned (63%). Only 19% want to allow gender identity conversion therapy to remain in place.

With the usual caveats about smaller sample sizes when you break the results down by voting intention, the full data tables show that Lib Dem voters are (just) more supportive of conversion therapy bans in general, and trans conversion therapy bans in particular, than Labour voters and notably more supportive than Conservative voters.

NOW AVAILABLE: Polling Unpacked: the history, uses and abuses of political opinion polls which, according to the Sunday Times, is “Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand modern politics … comprehensive yet surprisingly fun”.