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# Government officials held “secret meeting” with conversion therapy practitioners
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/government-officials-held-secret-meeting-with-conversion-therapy-practitioners/
- Published: 2021-11-04T12:12:37.000Z
- Updated: 2021-11-04T10:45:49.000Z
- Description: An investigation discovered that the government equalities office held an “undisclosed meeting” earlier this year with the Core Issues Trust.
- Author: Rachel Badham
- Tags: News, Politics, Queer Corner, ban conversion therapy, Kemi Badenoch, LGBTQ, LGBTQ Conversion therapy, Liz Truss

An investigation by [*VICE News*](https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkpym8/uk-government-officials-held-secret-meeting-with-ex-gay-conversion-therapy-providers?ref=scenemag.co.uk) has discovered that the government equalities office held an *“undisclosed private meeting”* earlier this year with the Core Issues Trust, which aims to *“help people who want to move away from unwanted homosexual feelings”*. The meeting was organised with the *“ex-gay”* leaders of the controversial group which actively advocates for conversion therapy.

The group told VICE that leaders have *“spent years”* trying to communicate with the government about their views on conversion therapy, and finally attended a meeting which equalities minister [Kemi Badenoch](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/calls-for-equalities-minister-kemi-badenoch-to-resign-after-anti-lgbtq-comments/) was reportedly *“eager”* to attend. The Core Issues Trust then described the meeting as a *“productive”* step *“in the right direction”,* as government officials supposedly *“encouraged”* any ‘former LGBTQ+ people’ to participate in the [public consultation](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/government-sets-out-plans-to-ban-conversion-therapy/) that is running throughout November.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ban-conversion-therapy-love-needs-no-cure-1.jpg)

Responding to the report, the government equality hub insisted that the *“government’s values do not align with those of the Core Issues Trust”*, adding: *“We believe that conversion therapy is an abhorrent practice and will shortly publish our plans to ban it in this country.”* March 28 2021 marked 1,000 days since the government first promised to ban conversion therapy in the UK, with officials saying that the new law will be enacted in [Spring 2022](https://www.gscene.com/news/national-news/government-promises-to-ban-conversion-therapy-in-2022/?ref=scenemag.co.uk).