Church of Scotland General Assembly 2022: Kirk calls for ban on conversion therapy

The Church of Scotland's General Assembly has backed calls for a ban on conversion therapy.

And it rejected a bid to distinguish between the controversial practice in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Glasgow minister the Rev Graham Thain argued the definition of conversion therapy set out in a 2017 Memorandum of Understanding, backed by 20 professional organisations and adopted by the Kirk, introduced the subject of gender identity where it was not covered in other definitions. And he said therapists working with people who had gender identity issues felt hindered from exploring their feelings with them because of this. He urged the Assembly to opt instead for the definition used by Counselling and Psychotherapy Scotland (Cosca).