An international panel of speakers has told Labour MP, Geraint Davies, that his Bill before parliament which threatens to ban therapeutic support for people who want to move away from same-sex attraction is not properly thought through.
The criticism was made at a conference in Westminster on Thursday, after a presentation in which Mr. Davies outlined his case for the Counsellors and Psychotherapists (Regulation) Bill.
The conference was hosted by the Christian charity, Core Issues Trust (CIT), and was addressed by speakers from the United States, Holland and the UK.
Response
Dr. Mike Davidson, Director of CIT, gave a a powerful response to Geraint Davies' address, noting in particular the lack of scientific evidence to support the claim that therapeutic support for those dealing with unwanted same sex attraction is harmful to those who receive it.
"Institutions such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the UK Council for Psychotherapy will not provide scientific proof that homosexuality is innate and immutable, nor that therapy is never effective," he said.
"Neither will they give the name of a single scientific paper that has found a causal link between therapy and harm. "Why is this? Because we believe that such proof simply does not exist."
You can view Geraint Davies' presentation here >
Read Dr Mike Davidson's full response here >
Several of the main speakers criticised Geraint Davies' "lack of understanding" of the issues surrounding the therapy. Click here to watch their reaction >
Among the speakers was also Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre. Watch her full presentation here >