The UK Government has finally published a long-awaited draft bill to ban conversion practices in England and Wales — more than eight years after it was first promised under Theresa May’s government in 2018.

If passed, the legislation would make it a criminal offence to carry out conversion practices intended to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Those found guilty could face up to five years in prison.

Stonewall CEO Simon Blake described the publication as “an historic and long overdue step forward on the journey towards LGBTQ+ equality.” He said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe to be themselves and live freely without fear — yet conversion practices have caused lasting harm and suffering to too many LGBTQ+ people across the UK.”

Saba Ali, Chair of the Ban Conversion Practices Coalition, welcomed the draft but stressed the importance of getting the detail right. “I am really pleased to see that the draft legislation includes protection for abuse based on gender identity as well as sexual orientation. A ban that leaves trans people out is not a ban at all,” she said.

However, campaigners including TransActual have raised serious concerns. The bill only bans “abusive” conversion practices, which critics argue leaves a loophole for practices that stop short of that threshold. It also contains an exemption for healthcare settings, and victims would need to prove they suffered serious harm or distress — a bar campaigners say could leave many without protection.

A new report from Galop, the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, found that in 76% of cases the conversion practices were perpetrated or initiated by family members. The majority involved coercive and controlling behaviour, including emotional and psychological abuse, threats, forced marriage, and restriction or surveillance.

One survivor, Ian, who suffered years of conversion practices, said: “The damage conversion practices did to me was significant. It wrecked my self-confidence, and created a powerful inner turmoil and conflict that has had a long-term impact on my mental health.”

The National LGBT Survey previously found that 7% of LGBT people — and 13% of trans people — have been offered or undergone conversion practices. The draft bill now enters a pre-legislative scrutiny phase, meaning there is still time for changes before it becomes law. More than 20 countries worldwide have already introduced full or partial bans, including Brazil, Canada, and Germany.