01/05/2022
The government of Wales, NHS Wales and the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership in Wales have all indicated that the country will press forward for a total ban on “conversion therapies” against members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, and have distanced themselves from the Westminster English government’s backtracking, stalling and eventual half hearted commitment to only a partial ban, leaving trans people out of any Commons legislation. The North Wales based local paper Rhyl, Prestatyn and Abergele Journal reports that Dr Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for Wales, and Judith Paget, chief executive of NHS Wales, said: “We stand united in our desire to make this abhorrent practice illegal and believe this will offer an important opportunity to support those at risk of conversion therapy as well as victims and survivors.” The Deputy Minister, Hannah Blythyn, explained that the Welsh government was investigating what legal measures it can constitutionally take to bring about a full and complete bar on anti-trans conversion groups as well as those that prey on gay, bi and lesbian youngsters and others under the rainbow spectrum. For the benefit of our overseas listeners, Wales is a constituent part of the United Kingdom, and not, as some people assume, part of England. It is classed as a Celtic country alongside Scotland and Ireland, and has its own ancient language. Wales has enjoyed its own television and radio services for around forty years, and has a lively Welsh language press. It has its own government and Assembly, known as the Senedd, under a constitutional settlement of 1999. Although traditionally a Wesleyan Methodist country, Wales has followed Ireland in pioneering progressive politics in the last century. The political left have a strong presence within the Senedd and Adam Price, the current leader of the largest Welsh National party, Plaid Cymru, is an out gay man.
