The Traitors star Matthew “Matty” Hyndman has backed Government plans to ban conversion therapy after revealing he was once told to “publicly repent” for being gay or lose his entire community.
The former contestant said he faced an “ultimatum” in his twenties while part of an evangelical Christian group, where he was pressured to undergo counselling or be cast out.
Hyndman, who has since spoken out about his experiences, said the proposed ban would send a “clear signal” to LGBTQ+ people that they are “not broken” and do not need to be “cured”.
Speaking at a London event where a draft Conversion Practices Bill was unveiled, he described how he had been working as a missionary on a ship travelling the world when he began grappling with his sexuality.
“I was so embarrassed that I was gay,” he said. “I was so deeply embarrassed and ashamed, and I didn’t tell a soul. This was not something that I was willing to even utter, because as far as I was concerned, it was the worst sin.”
He said that once his sexuality became known, he was presented with a stark choice.
“I was basically given a choice to publicly repent in front of the entire ship’s community and agree to go through counselling, or go,” he said.
Hyndman refused to undergo the counselling and ultimately walked away from the group, though he said doing so came with significant personal risk.
“The risk was that I would lose everyone I know and love. My vocation, my community - everything was so intertwined,” he said. “So for me to say no was for me to reject the belief of my entire community and walk away. And I did.”
He added: “I consider myself one of the lucky ones because I walked away and said, ‘no, actually, I think I know who I am’.”
Conversion practices – which aim to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity – can take a range of forms, from counselling sessions to religious rituals.
Under the proposed legislation for England and Wales, those found guilty of carrying out abusive conversion practices could face unlimited fines or prison sentences of up to five years.
The Government has said a criminal threshold will be set for conduct that causes serious harm, with campaigners highlighting accounts ranging from coercive counselling to physical and sexual abuse in extreme cases.
Hyndman said the legislation would be an important step forward for those who have experienced similar pressures.
“I think it just sends a really clear signal,” he said. “Anyone who is currently experiencing this, anyone who has, they’re hearing from the highest level that this is wrong and that it should not be happening to you.”
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