Today the minister for equalities, Mike Freer, has announced that Galop has been selected to deliver a first of its kind, government-funded support service for victims of conversion therapy.
Anyone who considers themselves as having gone through, or being at risk of, LGBT conversion therapy will be able to use the service, which will be accessed via phone or online.
Once users make contact via a helpline, they will be provided with initial pastoral support, information, and tailored advice.
Galop already works with the Home Office to deliver its LGBT domestic abuse helpline. They will bring their experience in providing understanding, support and guidance to LGBT victims of abuse and violence to delivering this vitally important service for LGBT people.
Minister for Equalities, Mike Freer, said: “Conversion therapy blights people’s lives, and it will never achieve its intended outcomes.
“This practice has no place in modern society and we are taking action to ensure it is banned in the UK.
“We have chosen Galop to deliver this new service as they can draw on their significant expertise to deliver a successful service that provides victims of conversion therapy with effective and compassionate support.”
Leni Morris, Galop CEO, said: “For the past 40 years, Galop has been serving the needs of the LGBT+ community, and providing victims of abuse and violence with somewhere to turn.
“We have been working with victims and survivors of so-called “conversion therapy” for many years, and we see the long-term, even life-long, effects this type of abuse can have. The people we work with often face significant barriers in finding information and seeking support when they are subjected to this kind of abuse, and we are glad to be able to use this funding to extend and expand the information and support available to all victims of conversion practices in the UK.
“The National Conversion Therapy Helpline is a vital lifeline for our community, and we are pleased it will continue to be here for all LGBT+ people who need it.”
The announcement comes after Tuesday’s Queen’s Speech set out the intention to ban conversion therapy.
