Should parents face criminal charges for pressuring a child not to change gender identity?
Parents are not currently covered by any specific offence on this topic, though abusive or violent behaviour towards a child is already illegal. A draft Conversion Practices Bill, published in June 2026, would create a new offence in England and Wales of abusive conversion practices, with up to five years in prison. It would apply where coercive or controlling conduct causes serious harm or serious alarm or distress, and the equalities minister said parents would not be exempt. A joint committee of MPs and peers is now scrutinising it, with healthcare professionals exempt.
11 Opinions
I’ve witnessed the horrific consequences of familial pressure on gay people through conversion practices. Doing it to trans people is just as evil.
Most parents only want the best for their children. A parent who tries to talk their child out of changing gender is doing what they think is right. It's not the place of anyone else to say they can't do that.
Jesus let parents, parent their children. There isn’t a chance i (& the majority of kids) should be trusted to make life changing decisions at such a young age.
The problem here is how to construct a workable definition of "pressurising". Parents are, by definition, senior to someone who is not of age. This is similar to workplace situations where managers have to be careful about how they interact with junior staff. We don't want that eggshell carpet in a situation many people already struggle with. Edited
Could you imagine if this asked "should parents face charges for pressuring a child not to be gay"? Forced conversion is abusive and does not work.
Threatening parents with up to five years in prison for urging caution or having tough conversations with their own kids is terrifying state overreach... If my son decided he wanted to be a female when he's a teenager, you best believe that I'm pressuring him to not transition because I'd be petrified of him making the wrong choice. Tying him down and physically preventing him / chastising him is child abuse and that's illegal anyway.
Remember, its only abusive conversion practices, if you hold gender critical views. The government and its NGOs brainwashing and sterilising a generation of kids over social contagion is completely immune from the consequences of this law.
Quite opposite, pressuring into gender confusion should be a crime.
The criminal charges should be for pushing a minor into these changes. Children need protecting.
Leave parenting to parents and ban this insidious gender ideology.