Christian LGBT activist Jayne Ozanne has suggested that even well-intentioned prayer for those struggling with same-sex attraction is “insidious” and should be “criminalised”.
She also said she hoped to place “fear” in the hearts of family members who wish to pray for their LGBT-identifying relatives.
Ozanne was speaking at a Parliamentary Joint Committee oral evidence session on the Draft Conversion Practices Bill. Questioned by Labour MP Danny Beales on whether someone praying for another person to become straight should be criminalised, Ozanne answered, “You’d criminalise it, but whether you’d prosecute [is another matter].”
Ozanne indicated that in such a case a person could perhaps receive a warning but appeared to hint that repeated prayers should be treated more severely.
Under questioning from Sir Jeremy Wright KC, Ozanne said that Christians who reveal their LGBT identity tend to go through stages. The first stage is essentially being in the closet, the second is when the identity is revealed and parents and friends gather to pray for the individual in question. The third phase is where the individual seeks out prayer, counselling and even exorcism to remove the LGBT identity.
Ozanne said she believed a conversion therapy ban should target those at stage three, which would likely include professionals who are engaged to help a person change their sexuality or gender identity.
“This [stage three] is where the bill would kick in, arguably it should kick in in phase two, but that’s quite difficult … But the phase three, when you’re going to organisations that profess to find you a way out – that is what we are stopping and I hope we put ‘the fear’ into phase two from happening.”
A range of Christian and free-speech groups have warned that the proposed conversion bill represents a severe threat to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and is a threat to the relationship between parents and children.
The Christian Medical Fellowship, Christian Concern, the Coalition for Marriage, the Free Speech Union, The Christian Institute and even the Gay Men’s Network have all warned that the bill presents a grave threat to civil rights in Britain.
