1/ Following the parliamentary recess ending mid April, Alicia Kearns MP will introduce an amendment to the Criminal Justice Act about Conversion Practices. It doesn't define "gender identity", but would enact it into law and risks fuelling the very problem it tries to solve.
2/ Conversion Practices legislation worldwide says doctors must accept the self diagnosis of vulnerable and confused children presenting at gender services. We've highlighted that most of these children grow up to be gay or are autistic before.
3/ This amendment is an unusual piece of legislation. It doesn't define "gender identity". It allows private prosecutors to misuse this law and risks a post office like scandal. The statutory defences are circular and misunderstand legal terms like "parental responsibility".
4/ Disbelief in gender ideology is a protected characteristic in civil law, but this amendment would create a criminal statute where gender identity is the basis for prosecution. That is a serious irregularity which will affect parents, teachers and clinicians.
5/ We believe this amendment would create a law that is incompatible with the 1998 Human Rights Act. Failing to define key terms, prescribing how parents can parent and limiting what people can say is highly likely to lead to human rights challenges.
6/ We continue to share the concerns of the Secretary of State for Equalities and members across both houses that gender medicine appears to be a new form of Gay Conversion Therapy. In a week where the NHS sensibly bans puberty blockers, this legislation is not fit for purpose.
7/ Our full Parliamentary Briefing will be available on our website soon and we encourage everyone who can to contact their MP regarding this legislation. Doctors, parents and teachers must be free to do their jobs without an unwarranted threat of prosecution.
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