Sir Elton John, Dua Lipa and Charli XCX are just a handful of the high profile artists who have added their names to an open letter calling for conversion therapy to banned. Despite its classification as torture by the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, as well as being globally condemned by the U.N., the practise of trying to ‘cure’ LGBT people of their queer identity is still legal in the UK. 

Some of the more violent forms of conversion therapy such as physical beatings and ‘corrective’ rape are already covered by existing criminal offences, though other forms such as the use of electric shocks and nausea-inducing drugs are not. Victims are usually made vulnerable by being led to believe the ‘treatments’ are for their own good, despite having no basis in science. For these reasons, conversion therapy is opposed on ethical, logical, and moral grounds by all UK therapy professional bodies, as well as the National Health Service.

Addressed to the Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss, the letter states that any behaviour that tries to alter someone’s sexual orientation or behaviour to confirm to a heteronormative lifestyle “should be illegal, no matter the reason, religious or otherwise”. Ending with a chilling reminder that without government intervention, “torture will continue to take place on British soil”, the letter has accrued more than 200,000 signatures, including those of the musicians Olly Alexander (from Years & Years), Clairo, Rina Sawayama, and Wolf Alice. 

Stephen Fry, Russell T Davies, Mae Martin and Katherine Ryan are several of the other celebrities who have put their support behind the motion. A date has not yet been set for the ban to be debated in Parliament, though in related news Instagram recently removed paid promotions from conversion therapy groups in response to efforts from LGBTQ activists. 

The group behind the letter are Ban Conversion Therapy, a recent campaign started by friends Harry Hitchens and Matthew Hyndman. Writing on their website, Hitchens and Hyndman state they begam the campaign in order “to bring public attention to the issue of conversion therapy in the UK and ensure a comprehensive ban”. As well as several helpful resources, you can find the full letter via Ban Conversion Therapy’s site here.