PE1817: End Conversion Therapy
Petition summary
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to ban the provision or promotion of LGBT+ conversion therapy in Scotland.
Petitioner: Tristan Gray, Ely Kearney, Erin Lux, Benjamin Butler, Sophie Duncan
Status: Closed
Date published: 16 July 2020
Click here for the full petition
This Petition has been referred to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee.
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee Consideration
Committee Meetings
1 October 2020: The Public Petitions Committee agreed to refer the petition to the Equalities and Human Rights Committee under Rule 15.6.2 of Standing Orders.
Official Report of Meeting 1 October 2020
Written Submissions
Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee Consideration
23 November 2021 (meeting in private): Video testimonies from survivors of conversion therapy.
16 November 2021: Panel one evidence session with the Evangelical Alliance, Family Education Trust, Christian Medical Fellowship and the Catholic Parliamentary Office. Panel 2 evidence session with Nathan Despott, Steering Committee, Brave Network and Honorary Research Fellow and Dr Timothy Jones, Associate Professor, both of La Trobe University, Melbourne. Panel 3 evidence session with Dr Christine A Ryan, Senior Legal Advisor, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Dr Adam Jowett, Lead Author of UK Government commissioned research into conversion therapy.
Official Report of Meeting 16 November 2021
2 November 2021: Evidence session with Quakers in Scotland, Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition, Metropolitan Community Churches and the United Reformed Church.
Official Report of Meeting 2 November 2021
21 September 2021: Evidence session with the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Scottish Human Rights Commission followed by the Memorandum of Understanding Coalition Against Conversion Therapy and JustRight Scotland.
Official Report of Meeting 21 September 2021
14 September 2021: Evidence session with Stonewall Scotland, Equality Network, Scottish Trans Alliance, LGBT Youth Scotland
Official Report of Meeting 14 September 2021
7 September 2021: Evidence session with Tristan Gray, Principal Petitioner and Blair Anderson, End Conversion Therapy Scotland.
Official Report of Meeting 7 September 2021
13 December 2022: The Committee agreed to close the petition under rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government has committed to bring forward legislation on this matter.
Official Report of Meeting 13 December 2022
Engagement
The Committee agreed it was important for its consideration of the petition to hear from individuals who had experienced conversion practices. It recognised the possibility that recounting their experiences might retraumatise those individuals, and agreed that these engagement sessions should be held in private. Two separate sessions were held on Tuesday 26 October 2021, with individuals speaking to Committee member(s) in virtual breakout rooms. The sessions were coordinated jointly between the Parliament’s Participation and Communities Team and the Equality Network. Sessions were facilitated by members of the Equality Network, Stonewall Scotland, Scottish Trans Alliance and LGBT Youth Scotland, with Scottish Parliament staff taking notes.
Three individuals opted to tell their story by video. These were viewed in private by the Committee on Tuesday 23 November 2021.
The individuals who recounted their experiences have consented to these notes being published.
We aim to make all of the information we publish fully accessible. However, when documents are provided by external organisation this is not always possible. If you need the document provided in an alternative format, please contact the clerk of the committee. Further information can be found in our accessibility statement.
Participant D with Alexander Stewart MSP 26 October 2021
Participant R with Fulton MacGregor MSP 26 October 2021
Participant JM with Fulton MacGregor MSP 26 October 2021
Participant X with Joe FitzPatrick MSP 26 October 2021
Participant Y with Joe FitzPatrick MSP and Alexander Stewart MSP 26 October 2021
Participant W1 with Karen Adam MSP 26 October 2021
Participant W2 with Karen Adam MSP 26 October 2021
Participant O with Maggie Chapman MSP 26 October 2021
Participant D with Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP 26 October 2021
Participant M with Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP 26 October 2021
Participant J with Pam Gosal MSP 26 October 2021
Participant K with Pam Gosal MSP 26 October 2021
Participant G video testimony 23 November 2021
Participant L video testimony 23 November 2021
Participant S video testimony 23 November 2021
Submit your views
The consultation closed on 13 August 2021.
Read the published responses on Citizen Space.
Session 5 Equalities and Human Rights Committee consideration
14 January 2021: The Equalities and Human Rights Committee agreed to keep the petition open and include in its legacy paper for its successor committee.
Official Report of Meeting 14 January 2021
Written Submissions