The consultation was announced during the Queen’s Speech in May of this year. It was initially praised by LGBTQ+ activists, with many hoping it was the beginning of the practice finally being banned in the UK.
At the time, Minister for Women & Equalities, Liz Truss, said: “As a global leader on LGBT rights, this government has always been committed to stamping out the practice of conversion therapy. “We want to make sure that people in this country are protected, and these proposals mean nobody will be subjected to coercive and abhorrent conversion therapy.” However, the government is now facing backlash from the LGBTQ+ community and activists alike for announcing the delay.