Conversion Therapy letter to the Scottish Government
This letter to The Scottish Government regarding Conversion Therapy, was sent jointly by ACT and CVE Scotland
Emma Roddick MSP
Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees
The Scottish Government
Dear Ms Roddick
On behalf of the Association of Christian Teachers (ACT), and Christian Values in Education (CVE Scotland) I am writing to express our concerns about the Scottish Government’s Expert Advisory Group’s proposals for banning conversion therapy. We represent many educational professionals who hold traditional, mainstream Christian beliefs on sexual ethics and transgender issues.
Our organisations support the protection of children from being coerced into beliefs or decisions they do not wish to take. The Bible is clear that all people are made in God’s image. As such, all of us – especially children and young people – deserve to be protected from abusive practices. We are therefore grateful that there is already legislation to protect against such abuse and coercion in Scotland.
However, 'Conversion therapy' is a vague and expansive term that includes pastoral conversations. Criminalising such harmless conversations would have alarming results for children and schools. We fear these proposals will have a severe chilling effect on discussion with pupils, blocking vital pastoral care that accords with the beliefs of pupils and jeopardising the careers of school leaders, teachers and support staff.
We have three main concerns about this proposed legislation:
The proposals may harm children who may need to talk about this sensitive and personal area of gender/sexuality with a school professional, especially gender distressed children who want to remain in their biological sex. Any teacher (Christian or otherwise) who, in good faith, encourages a pupil to think carefully about transitioning gender will be wary of unfair accusations that they have not been ‘affirming’. This would clearly stifle their ability to provide pastoral care for pupils. This fear of prosecution would result in children finding themselves dangerously unsupported.
These proposals could infringe on children’s human rights and liberties. Religious people offer pastoral conversations, alongside prayer, as part of their religious practices. This includes school chaplains and teachers. The right to engage in these practices is protected by human rights law. But under the proposals, if a child or young person requests prayer for unwanted dysphoric feelings, the resulting offer of prayer might be criminalised. These children would therefore be discriminated against, as they could no longer access pastoral care in accordance with their own religious beliefs and traditions.
These proposals could criminalise educational professionals gently expressing their religious belief, when asked, that God made humans male and female, in his image, and has reserved sex for the marriage of one man and one woman. The Scottish Government’s 'Expert Advisory Group on Ending Conversion Practices' claims teaching the "importance of marriage" could be considered an aspect of conversion therapy. But to legislate on these lines would put many of our Christian colleagues in a precarious position when delivering a balanced relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) curriculum.
Furthermore, the Expert Group recommends that the Government follow the extreme example of Victoria, Australia, where failing to affirm someone's gender identity or encouraging them to remain celibate is considered conversion therapy. Teachers talking to their pupils about trans identities could fall foul of the law; declining to agree with a child’s assertion that they are the opposite sex could become a crime. This would criminalise ordinary Christian teachers for expressing mainstream, orthodox beliefs.
Nuanced discussions with children about struggles over gender or sexuality should not be considered conversion therapy. In a complex situation, it is over-simplistic and deeply damaging to create a false binary in which the alternatives presented to professionals are either lawful ‘affirmation’ or unlawful ‘conversion therapy’.
As Christian organizations, we place a high value on submitting to and supporting our government. Although we do not believe the Scottish Government intends to criminalize innocent teachers for expressing a Christian perspective, we fear it might do so.
If the Scottish Government is going to pursue a ban on ‘conversion practices’, it should treat the recommendations of its Expert Advisory Group with great caution and engage with a much wider range of stakeholders before finalising its plans.
Yours Sincerely
Elizabeth Harewood
Executive Officer, Association of Christian Teachers
Megan Patterson
Chair, Christian Values in Education Scotland