Thread by @RhonddaBryant

I used to be a priest in the Church of England, and youth chaplain for the diocese of Peterborough. I was going through my own spiritual journey, understanding or coming to terms with my sexuality, but what really frightened me was when I saw Christians, priests, pastors

missionaries and ordinary Christians latch on to a young person and fill them with self-hatred because of their sexuality. The damage done was immense. Guilt, shame and self loathing can last a lifetime and ruin many other lives en route.

Often these people call themselves therapists, they used prayer and the laying on of hands to exorcise “demonic” homosexuality. They sought to “convert” homosexuals. They found biblical texts to back up their prejudices but ignored the injunction to Love Thy Neighbour as thyself.

They prayed with and prayed on young people like a cult. I had hoped that the world had moved on. I believed even the Tories under Johnson would ban conversion therapy. That was their promise for four years. Today they have broken that promise.

You may think this doesn’t really matter very much. But gay boys are six times more likely to take their own lives. Queer bashing is a very present danger. And if we don’t ban conversion therapy, there will be many more generations of bitterly unhappy closeted homosexuals.

Everyone has a right to a life lived to its full potential. While conversion therapy continues,many will only know grief. Please, please, please tell your MP, of whatever party, to tell Johnson to honour his pledge to ban conversion therapy this year. RT if you agree.