A TikTok Ban On LGBT Conversion Therapy Content Has Reignited Calls To Ban The Practice In The UK

A petition calling for the practice to be banned attracted over 200,000 signatures earlier this year (PA)
 


Eleanor Langford

TikTok has become the latest social media platform to ban content promoting so-called “gay conversion therapy”, reigniting calls for the government to ban the practice.

In a statement, TikTok UK announced it was updating its guidelines with the aim of “removing content that is hurtful to the LGBTQ+ community by removing hateful ideas, including content that promotes conversion therapy and the idea that no one is born LGBTQ+.”

Other content now banned on the social media platform, which has over 100 million active monthly users in Europe, includes those promoting white nationalist ideologies and conspiracy theories targeting Jewish and Muslim communities.

Conversion therapy refers to treatment or psychotherapy aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or suppressing their gender identity.

Harry Hitchens, co-founder of the Ban Conversion Therapy campaign, said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the move, but warned that “we’ve heard this promise before from other platforms without much result”.
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He added: “Time and time again, pledges have been made in the public and private sector to limit the reach of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ organisations. We’d now like to see those pledges turn into action.”

Boris Johnson described the practice in June as “absolutely abhorrent” and pledged that he would “bring forward” plans to make it illegal in the UK once a study on its prevalence had been conducted.

TikTok’s latest move to remove such content from its platform has reignited cross-party calls for the government to speed up action on conversion therapy in the UK.

Dan Carden was among Labour MPs welcoming the move, he told PoliticsHome: “It’s welcome to see online platforms taking action to protect their users from dangerous and detrimental content involving gay conversion therapies and theories.

“Action from the government is well overdue. Indeed, it had been promised in recent years but sadly under Boris Johnson’s premiership we are seeing Ministers backtracking on these commitments.”

Meanwhile, Abena Oppong-Asare said: “TikTok have done the right thing by banning content promoting gay conversion therapy. This is an abhorrent practice.

“The Government must now act urgently to do the right thing to make sure this is banned in the UK.”

And the SNP's Alyn Smith said: "Gay conversion therapy across the globe causes extreme suffering for individuals. It is a fraudulent practice that severely damages people.

"By some estimates, around 70% of people who have gone through gay conversion therapy have had suicidal thoughts. Over 30% have attempted suicide, while over 40% have self-harmed. It is a vile assault on a person’s happiness, and it should be outlawed entirely."

The Scottish MP added that he hoped the move by TikTok "will come with a greater sense of urgency" to remove harmful content when it appears.

LGBT rights group Stonewall also said it was good that TikTok was "stepping up" on this issue.

"All forms of so-called ‘therapy’ that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity are unethical and have been condemned by major UK health organisations like the NHS, psychotherapy and counselling bodies," said Josh Bradlow, Policy Manager at Stonewall.

"Being lesbian, gay, bi or trans is not something that can or should be ‘cured’."

"The Government’s National LGBT survey found that 2% of LGBT people have undergone conversion therapy, and a further 5% have been offered it.

"If we want all LGBT people to be safe, then the Government must bring forward an effective ban on these harmful practices now."

Responding to a written question from Mr Carden on the issue last week, equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said the government was “considering both legislative and non-legislative options to end conversion therapy practices for good.”

“Officials have been reviewing the current legislative framework to see how harmful and unacceptable practices referred to as conversion therapy may already be captured by existing laws and offences.”

She added that the government was working “at pace” to end the practice and “will outline in due course how it intends to proceed with an effective and proportionate response”.

TikTok confirmed in a blog post on its website that content that speaks positively about gay conversion therapy or claims about it being effective will now be removed, as well as content that promotes misinformation about the LGBT community.

Other content to be banned includes those which plays into antisemitic tropes, promotes conspiracy theories about high-profile Jewish individuals or families, and promotes misinformation about the Muslim community.

Rishi Sunak set to ban 'abhorrent' TRANS conversion therapy

Ben Riley-Smith
Sun, January 15, 2023 

protest - Hollie Adams/Getty Images

A law to ban all conversion therapy will be announced as soon as Monday, as Rishi Sunak reverses Boris Johnson’s decision to scale back the intervention.

Conversion therapy is the practice of attempting to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender. It often takes place in religious settings and has led to accusations of exploitation.

Mr Johnson vowed to ban homosexual conversion therapy when prime minister, but decided not to do the same for transgender conversion therapy.

This week, government ministers are set to make clear that they plan to implement a total ban on both forms of conversion and will make legal changes to enforce the new position.

'Abhorrent practice'

The decision is understood to have been made in principle by No 10, but hoops remain before the announcement is made, including a formal sign-off of the position.

A Government spokesman said: “The Government remains committed to banning conversion practices in this country.

“In order to ensure the ban is as effective as possible, we are currently analysing the responses to our consultation. We will set out our next steps in due course.

“To help ensure that victims of this abhorrent practice have the assistance that they need, we have already established a new victim support service.”
'No place in civilised society'

Mr Johnson had long spoken out against the practice, saying in July 2020: “On the gay conversion therapy thing, I think that's absolutely abhorrent and has no place in a civilised society, and has no place in this country.

“What we are going to do is a study right now on... where is this actually happening, how prevalent is it, and we will then bring forward plans to ban it.”

But he altered his position last spring. Leaked documents suggested the ban was being ditched, triggering a backlash.

Mr Johnson then promised to ban gay conversion therapy, but said he would not do the same for transgender conversion, arguing the latter issue was more complex.

Tory MPs on both sides of the debate pushed their case with Downing Street, with some critics of an outright ban raising concerns of unintended consequences, such as for teachers or doctors having discussions with teenagers who wish to legally change gender.

It is unclear when exactly the legal change will formally be tabled in Parliament.

Rishi Sunak facing ‘big backlash’ over trans conversion therapy ban

Daniel Martin
Mon, January 16, 2023 a

A demonstrator holds a placard during the No Ban Without Trans protest - Hollie Adams/Getty Images

Rishi Sunak faces a “big backlash” if he presses ahead with a ban on trans conversion therapy which campaigners and Tory MPs say could criminalise parents, teachers and doctors.

The Government has already committed to ban therapists from pressurising gay people to be straight – a move which is entirely uncontroversial.

But over the weekend, Whitehall sources indicated that the Prime Minister wants to extend the law in order to ban the use of conversion therapy around gender transitions – where an attempt is made to persuade children who want to change their gender that they should stay as they are.

Boris Johnson rejected extending the law to cover gender identity in this way, and – on Monday night – critics said that if Mr Sunak presses ahead, it could be used to criminalise those who question children who want to change gender.

Tim Loughton, the former children’s minister, said he was concerned doctors, teachers and parents could fall foul of any new law unless it were very carefully worded.

“It certainly needs to include some dispensation when discussing transition treatment with minors or there will be a big backlash,” he said.

Teachers and parents in the dock

Maya Forstater, the co-founder of Sex Matters, said banning conversion therapy could see teachers and parents in the dock if they question a child’s desire to change gender.

The group says it means teachers could find themselves in court if they tell children they cannot use opposite-sex toilets or prevent a boy from competing in girls’ sports.

And it says parents could fall foul of the law for refusing to use the correct pronoun or for taking children abroad to avoid people pressuring them into transitioning.

Ms Forstater said: “Proponents of the plan to outlaw conversion therapy in the UK have never been able to come up with evidence that there is a contemporary practice that can and should be banned.

“Already therapists who help people work through gender issues and not become fixed on the idea that they need to alter their body to be their true self are being accused of practising ‘conversion’.

“Any proposed legislation should be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny to make sure that it does not risk criminalising thoughtful therapists, and parents and teachers who don’t believe children can be ‘born in the wrong body’, or people practising their religion.”

Damian Green, the former deputy prime minister to Theresa May, urged Mr Sunak to be careful.

“The key is the definition of what should be outlawed,” he said. “Clearly any coercive or bullying interventions are completely unacceptable, but the definition should not be so wide that it excludes proper conversations with clinicians.

“This is an especially sensitive area when it involves children.”

In an article for The Telegraph, Kathleen Stock, a British philosopher who had to leave her university position after being targeted by trans activists, said: “Under the proposed legislation, doctors, counsellors and therapists could be forced to simply affirm any child who claimed to be trans, or face potential prosecution for attempting to change the child’s identity.”

Kathleen Stock - BPM Media

The law was originally designed to outlaw the cruel practice of attempting to “convert” gay children.

But under pressure from trans rights campaigners, it was extended to stop therapists trying to help children with gender dysphoria – a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity – to decide whether they really wish to transition.

After some 2,500 parents, teachers and therapists wrote to their MPs to protest against the changes, Mr Johnson’s government blocked the plans.

On Monday night, a spokesman for the Government’s Equality Hub said: “The Government remains committed to banning conversion practices in this country.

“In order to ensure the ban is as effective as possible, we are currently analysing the responses to our consultation. We will set out our next steps in due course.

“To help ensure that victims of this abhorrent practice have the assistance that they need, we have already established a new victim support service.

CANADA
House of Commons unanimously passes bill banning conversion therapy

Isabelle Docto
Dec 2 2021, 

Marc Bruxelle/Shutterstock

The House of Commons unanimously agreed to pass a bill that bans conversion therapy on Wednesday, December 1.

Bill C-4 will protect Canadians of all ages from the harmful practice by making it illegal in Canada.

David Lametti, Canada’s minister of justice and attorney general, took to Twitter to thank all members of parliament “for choosing the right side of history.”

The legislation plans on eliminating the practice of conversion therapy with four new Criminal Code offences. It would prohibit any person from undergoing conversion therapy, removing a minor from Canada to subject them to conversion therapy abroad, profiting from providing conversion therapy and advertising or promoting conversion therapy.

The bill is an expansion of Bill C-6, which was introduced in 2020, expanding the legislation to protect consenting adults from taking part in the harmful practice.

According to bill C-4, so-called conversion therapy is a practice that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or change a person’s gender identity to cisgender. It can also include forcing a person’s gender expression to conform to the sex assigned to them at birth and repressing a person’s non-heterosexual attraction and non-cisgender gender identity.You might also like:

The practice can go by many different names like “reparative therapy” and “reorientation therapy” and can take various forms, including counselling and behavioural modification.

Municipal governments have also taken steps to combat the practice. In 2018, Vancouver banned businesses that practice conversion therapy.

If the bill passes as-is, it will make conversion therapy a crime punishable by up to five years.

The legislation will now be looked over in the senate, where it could be subject to changes.

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Surprise Tory motion sends the bill for anti-conversion therapy through Commons

 DEC 2, 2021 

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole is asking questions to the government during the House of Commons questioning on November 25.Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press

The House of Commons has unanimously approved a proposal from the Conservative Party to speed up legislation banning conversion therapy.

The unexpected move on Wednesday, which resulted in cheers and applause among MPs, means that the legislation, which the government introduced for the third time earlier in the week, without being examined by committees, goes to the Senate for approval.

It also mitigates the prospect of a divisive debate on Bill C-4 among conservatives on how to deal with legislation surrounding the highly discredited therapy aimed at changing a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

At a third reading of the previous bill in June, 62 Conservative MPs voted against. Party leader Erin O’Toole was among 51 conservatives who voted for.

A few hours before Conservative MP Rob Moore moved the bill to pass the bill at all stages, Mr O’Toole told reporters outside a caucus meeting that the party would speed up the adoption of the new bill.

“There are many ways we can speed up the adoption of this legislation,” he said.

Mr. O’Toole, a self-proclaimed longtime ally of the LGBTQ2 community, said the caucus had had a “good discussion” on the issue, but did not elaborate.

Following the adoption of the proposal, Homosexual Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault said Wednesday’s development was a sign of progress in Canada and exemplifies what happens when Parliament works.

“I think political people in this country do not want to be preoccupied with opposing LGBTQ2 issues because they are fundamental human rights,” he said.

Justice Minister David Lametti said there were members of the Conservative caucus to be thanked.

“There are clearly people in the conservative caucus who exercised much of the leadership on the issue, and I thank them,” he said. “They have done a very important thing for the Canadians. That is what we can do when Parliament works together.”

He said he now hoped the bill could be accelerated through the Senate.

In a tweet, he said: “I would like to thank all the elected members for choosing the right side of the story.”

Gérard Deltell, the Conservative House leader, declined to reveal the dynamics of caucus discussions on the issue. He noted that no Conservative has been a supporter of conversion therapy, but there were previous concerns about the legislative options to deal with it.

He said Mr Moore had done a good job in solving the problem in the past. “He put forward a proposal to put the bill where it was six months ago before the prime minister called the unnecessary election,” he said.

“It’s in the hands of the Senate, which is exactly what could have been done six months ago.”

Mark Holland, head of the House of Commons, noted that there is “enormous power” in the Commons when members speak with one voice on a subject.

“When you take that time to work together, you can achieve results that we see today, and I think that is possible in other aspects,” he said. Netherlands.

Earlier this week, the Liberal government re-introduced a bill banning conversion therapy. The legislation was broader than an earlier version. The intention was to ban the practice exclusively for children and adults. Previously, the proposed legislation left open the possibility for an adult to give his consent to conversion therapy. The new bill closes the gap.

The bill was first tabled in March 2020, but died on the order paper when the government prorogated Parliament later that year. It was reintroduced not long after that and died when Parliament was dissolved ahead of the federal election.

New Zealand government introduces bill prohibiting LGBTQ conversion therapy

Kashish Khandelwal | National Law U. Delhi, IN

JULY 31, 2021 

The New Zealand government introduced a bill in the country’s parliament Friday that criminalizes conversion practices targeted at LGBTQ+ people to deter the performance of such practices.

The bill defines conversion practice as any action taken against a person because of that person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, with the intention of changing or suppressing that person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Further, the bill excludes from the scope of conversion practices health services provided by health practitioners, along with people offering legitimate counseling, support, and advice. The bill also exempts the general expression of religious beliefs on sexuality and gender from the definition.

Introducing the bill, Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi said, “conversion practices have no place in modern New Zealand. They are based on the false belief that any person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression is broken and in need of fixing.” He further added, “delivering on our 2020 election manifesto to prohibit conversion practices,” the bill will offer an avenue to redress the harm caused by conversion practices and safeguard all New Zealander’s human rights to live free of discrimination.

The bill makes it illegal for anybody to undertake conversion practice on a person under the age of 18 or on any person who lacks the mental ability to grasp the nature and implications of decisions affecting their health. Any contravention of this provision entails a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding 3 years. Furthermore, the bill stipulates that any conversion practice that causes “serious harm” to a person would be punishable by up to 5 years of imprisonment. In any case, consent of the person undergoing such practices is not a defense.

Moreover, the bill also creates a civil avenue of remedy for survivors of conversion practices by authorizing the Human Rights Commission to receive complaints.

This move comes just months after the New Zealand government announced in February 2021 that it will pass a law prohibiting conversion practices. In June, Canada’s House of Commons also approved a bill criminalizing LGBTQ+ conversion practices.

21ST CENTURY ALCHEMY

RUDN University chemists created cheap catalysts for ethanol conversion

RUDN UNIVERSITY

Research News

 

IMAGE: RUDN UNIVERSITY CHEMISTS PROPOSED A NEW WAY TO SYNTHESIZE CATALYSTS FOR THE CONVERSION OF ETHYL ALCOHOL. THE OBTAINED MATERIALS ARE PROMISING CATALYSTS FOR THE SELECTIVE CONVERSION OF ETHANOL, WHICH IS... view more 

CREDIT: RUDN UNIVERSITY

RUDN University chemists proposed a new way to synthesize catalysts for the conversion of ethyl alcohol. The obtained materials are promising catalysts for the selective conversion of ethanol, which is an important stage in the development of an alternative technology for obtaining valuable chemical synthesis products based on plant raw materials. The results of the study are published in Catalysis Today.

Ethanol fuel is ethyl alcohol, it is produced from plant material by fermentation of industrial or agricultural waste biomass. It is used as a more environmentally friendly fuel compared to gasoline. But this is not its sole use -- ethanol can be converted into acetaldehyde, diethyl ether and other chemicals that are in demand in the industry. Highly efficient catalysts are required to trigger such chemical reactions. However, existing catalysts contain precious metals, and therefore they are too expensive to use. RUDN University chemists proposed new catalysts based on aluminium and zirconium, modified with copper.

"The best-known catalysts for ethanol conversion are based on oxides promoted by noble metals. However, they are quite expensive. A more affordable option is catalysts with copper as the active phase, but so far, the best option has not been found among them. Improvements are required to use these catalysts to ensure both high conversion and selectivity of the reaction -- that is, to leave as little ethanol as possible unprocessed and at the same time to obtain the necessary substances, and not by-products", Anna Zhukova, associated professor, PhD, from the Department of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry of RUDN University

RUDN chemists combined two approaches to improve the efficiency of catalysts for acetaldehyde synthesis. First, they combined oxides of several metals in nanocomposites: aluminium, cerium, and zirconium. The researchers synthesized five types of powders with different oxides ratios. Five of them was prepared at a relatively low temperature of 180°C, and another five was heated to 950°C. This made it possible to form different structures in the materials. The calcined samples had a large diameter and pore volume.

The second idea was to add copper. All the powders were soaked in an aqueous solution of copper nitrate, dried at room temperature, and exposed to a flow of hydrogen at 400°C. After that, the finished catalysts were tested in the ethanol vapor dehydrogenation reaction. Chemists placed them in a thin layer on a porous filter, and then fed alcohol vapors in the helium flow. The reaction was carried out at temperatures from 240°C to 360°C.

"All obtained systems demonstrated ? high alcohol conversion and selectivity to acetaldehyde. The copper containing catalysts with 5% aluminium oxide produced significant amounts of acetaldehyde with selectivity above 80 % at 3600C. We found that the mixed composition of the oxides creates conditions for the formation of active centres on the surface of the catalyst from copper ions with different charges. The best option is to use a mixture of oxides with a small content of aluminium in the synthesis of the catalyst and calcinate them at 950°C", Anna Zhukova from RUDN University

IMAGE: RUDN UNIVERSITY CHEMISTS PROPOSED A NEW WAY TO SYNTHESIZE CATALYSTS FOR THE CONVERSION OF ETHYL ALCOHOL. THE OBTAINED MATERIALS ARE PROMISING CATALYSTS FOR THE SELECTIVE CONVERSION OF ETHANOL, WHICH IS... view more 

CREDIT: RUDN UNIVERSITY

RUDN University chemists proposed a new way to synthesize catalysts for the conversion of ethyl alcohol. The obtained materials are promising catalysts for the selective conversion of ethanol, which is an important stage in the development of an alternative technology for obtaining valuable chemical synthesis products based on plant raw materials. The results of the study are published in Catalysis Today.

Ethanol fuel is ethyl alcohol, it is produced from plant material by fermentation of industrial or agricultural waste biomass. It is used as a more environmentally friendly fuel compared to gasoline. But this is not its sole use -- ethanol can be converted into acetaldehyde, diethyl ether and other chemicals that are in demand in the industry. Highly efficient catalysts are required to trigger such chemical reactions. However, existing catalysts contain precious metals, and therefore they are too expensive to use. RUDN University chemists proposed new catalysts based on aluminium and zirconium, modified with copper.

"The best-known catalysts for ethanol conversion are based on oxides promoted by noble metals. However, they are quite expensive. A more affordable option is catalysts with copper as the active phase, but so far, the best option has not been found among them. Improvements are required to use these catalysts to ensure both high conversion and selectivity of the reaction -- that is, to leave as little ethanol as possible unprocessed and at the same time to obtain the necessary substances, and not by-products", Anna Zhukova, associated professor, PhD, from the Department of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry of RUDN University

RUDN chemists combined two approaches to improve the efficiency of catalysts for acetaldehyde synthesis. First, they combined oxides of several metals in nanocomposites: aluminium, cerium, and zirconium. The researchers synthesized five types of powders with different oxides ratios. Five of them was prepared at a relatively low temperature of 180°C, and another five was heated to 950°C. This made it possible to form different structures in the materials. The calcined samples had a large diameter and pore volume.

The second idea was to add copper. All the powders were soaked in an aqueous solution of copper nitrate, dried at room temperature, and exposed to a flow of hydrogen at 400°C. After that, the finished catalysts were tested in the ethanol vapor dehydrogenation reaction. Chemists placed them in a thin layer on a porous filter, and then fed alcohol vapors in the helium flow. The reaction was carried out at temperatures from 240°C to 360°C.

"All obtained systems demonstrated ? high alcohol conversion and selectivity to acetaldehyde. The copper containing catalysts with 5% aluminium oxide produced significant amounts of acetaldehyde with selectivity above 80 % at 3600C. We found that the mixed composition of the oxides creates conditions for the formation of active centres on the surface of the catalyst from copper ions with different charges. The best option is to use a mixture of oxides with a small content of aluminium in the synthesis of the catalyst and calcinate them at 950°C", Anna Zhukova from RUDN University

Wisconsin Republicans block ‘conversion therapy’ ban

By HARM VENHUIZEN

January 12, 2023

State Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, looks on during a hearing at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., on Feb. 24, 2015. Wisconsin Republicans planned to vote Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, to again allow therapists, social workers and counselors to try to change their LGBTQ clients’ gender identities and sexual orientations, a practice known as conversion therapy. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans voted Thursday to again allow therapists, social workers and counselors to try to change LGBTQ clients’ gender identities and sexual orientations — a discredited practice known as conversion therapy.

A ban on conversion therapy was passed in 2020 by a state board within the Democratic governor’s administration overseeing licensing for mental health professionals. But a committee in the Republican-controlled Legislature temporarily blocked the ban then and did so again Thursday, with all six Republican members voting to block it and the four Democrats voting to keep it in place.

LGBTQ rights advocates have decried the scientifically discredited practice of trying to “convert” LGBTQ people to heterosexuality and traditional gender expectations as harmful, citing research suggesting the practice can increase the risk of suicide and depression.

At least 20 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed conversion therapy for minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a pro-LGBTQ rights think tank. Wisconsin is not one of them.

An examining board in the Department of Safety and Public Standards developed the rule banning conversion therapy, drawing objections from Republican lawmakers who introduced a bill in January 2021 to strike it down. Lawmakers placed that bill in committee for the remainder of the 2021-22 session, avoiding a veto from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and temporarily suspending the ban.

Evers, who signed an executive order in 2021 prohibiting the use of taxpayer money to fund youth conversion therapy, would almost have certainly vetoed the bill if it passed.

The ban was reinstated after lawmakers failed to permanently block it by the end of the last legislative session. It has been back in effect since Dec. 1, after Evers won reelection.

Mike Mikalsen, chief of staff for rules committee co-chair state Sen. Steve Nass, reiterated the committee’s reasoning for suspending the ban in 2021, telling The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that the licensing board had no authority under state law for the reinstatement.

“It’s not about the policy itself,” Mikalsen said.

Democrats disagree. State Sen. Kelda Roys, who sits on the rules committee, said Republicans’ decision to intervene was “wildly out of step” with the norms for setting professional standards.

“It’s disappointing that the very first move the GOP is going to make this legislative session is to green-light abusive practices against children,” Roys said.

LGBTQ rights have taken center stage in statehouses across the country since the year began. Republican lawmakers in at least 11 states have already introduced legislation to restrict access to transgender health care. Conservatives also have pushed to restrict conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

State Rep. Adam Neylon, the committee’s other co-chair, began a public hearing ahead of the vote by accusing the DSPS examining board of overstepping its bounds and crafting public policy by barring conversion therapy. He said that’s all that’s at issue, not whether conversion therapy is morally or ethically right or wrong.

Marc Herstand, executive director of the Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, told the committee that the board clearly has the authority to ban conversion therapy because it equates to unprofessional conduct that can drive patients to suicide.

“(The ban on conversion therapy) is necessary to protect the mental health of children in our state,” Herstand said.

Roys told the committee that lawmakers should leave the entire issue alone because none of them are social workers or therapists.

“The Legislature is not competent to decide what is professional conduct in a regulated industry,” Roys said.

Julianne Appling, president of the conservative group Wisconsin Family Action, told the committee that banning conversion therapy infringes on counselors, social workers and therapists’ free speech rights. The state, she said, should not be allowed to threaten their careers for exercising freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.

Matthew Lehner, a 19-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, told the committee that he’s a member of the LGBTQ community and he’s disgusted that lawmakers are even thinking about allowing conversion therapy, calling it torture and a violation of human rights.

“I am outraged and sick to my stomach that a proposal such as this would even be considered in the year 2023,” Lehner said. “However, given how the Republican majority has waged war on bodily autonomy, climate science, and queer people over their years of gerrymandered reign, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.”

___

Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this report. Harm Venhuizen is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Venhuizen on Twitter.

 

Pakistan: After bill against forced conversion rejected, 38 cases so far reported this year

After Pakistan turned down the bill on forced conversion, 38 cases of forced conversion have been reported across the country.

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• ANI
• |
• Lahore
• |
• Updated: 22-11-2021

Image Credit: ANI

• Country:
• Pakistan

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After Pakistan turned down the bill on forced conversion, 38 cases of forced conversion have been reported across the country. The Pakistan parliamentary committee in October had rejected the anti-forced conversion bill amid protest from the lawmakers belonging to minority communities in the country.

Young people from minority communities are generally kidnapped in broad daylight and forcibly converted to Islam. Meanwhile, Muslim members had taken the stance that forced conversion was not a problem in Pakistan. This was observed by Peter Jacob, a long-time activist for the rights of the minorities and Director Centre for Social Justice, in a session on the theme Freedom of Religion and Belief titled Minorities under Threat - Forced conversions and Marriages at Asma Jahangir Conference, reported The News International.

The session was moderated by Farida Shaheed, Executive Director Shirkat Gah and sociologist. The other speakers at this session were Wendy Gilmour, Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Kulpana Devi, Additional Advocate General of Sindh High Court and member of PPP and Dr Nasreen Rehman, economist and historian and director, National Commission on Forced Marriage (UK). The turning down of the bill on Forced Conversion by the parliamentary committee has emboldened the elements who conduct forced conversions of underage girls in an organised manner.

Jacob termed it sabotage of people's protection. He highlighted the problem of targeting young girls in particular and said the nation has been unable to find a way to address this menace because no sincere attempt has been made so far by the government to address this issue, reported The News International. "We know those who forcibly and arrogantly rejected that bill. The functional committee on human rights was turned into a standing committee which meant curtailing the powers of that committee. The parliament never discussed rights of the minorities in the twenty years that I have been observing," he lamented.

Jacob also said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs is part of the problem than the solution. Dr Ewlina Olchab, the senior researcher on All-Party Parliamentary Group and Pakistani minorities, said she has come across cases of abduction of a number of 14-15-year-old girls who are forcibly married to men much older than them. "The state must train the police to investigate such cases," she said.

Dr Ayra Indrias Patras, Assistant Professor Forman Christian College University, said, "We need to situate the problem of religious conversion of underage girls of the minority community in a society that is already riddled with socio-religious hostilities and gendered power relations. There is a thin line to substantiate whether girls are exercising their free choice to marry or are forced to religious conversion." "It is a one-way conversion of mostly girls of poor religious minorities, who marry Muslim men and convert to Islam. At times, patriarchal claims of minority communities control and curtail the independent choices of minority girls. Women of minority communities are subjected to multiple strands of marginality stemming from lower caste, class, gender and religions," she said. (ANI)

Appeals court upholds Washington State's conversion therapy ban


Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A three-judge panel has dismissed a challenge to Washington State's ban on so-called conversion therapy, ruling state legislators who passed the law were right to prevent licensed healthcare providers from performing the controversial practice on minors.

The 66-page ruling on Tuesday comes in a challenge brought last year by licensed marriage and family therapist Robert Tingley against the state's 2018 law that bans healthcare professionals from performing conversion therapy on those under 18 years of age under threat of disciplinary action.




Tingley claimed the law chilled his speech and caused him to self-censor in violation of his First Amendment rights, while also arguing the ban was unconstitutional vague, and in contravention the 14th Amendment.

While the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit viewed Tingley had standing for them to view the case, they unanimously ruled Tuesday that the Washington State legislature "rationally acted" by amending its regulatory scheme for licensed healthcare providers to add that performing conversion therapy on minors to its list of unprofessional conduct.

"States do not lose the power to regulate the safety of medical treatments performed under the authority of a state license merely because those treatments are implemented through speech rather than through scalpel," Judge Ronald Gould wrote in the ruling.

"The Washington legislature acted rationally when it decided to protect the 'physical and psychological well-being' of its minors by preventing state-licensed healthcare providers from practicing conversion therapy on them."

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a brief statement that Tuesday's ruling "protects LGBTQ+ youth."

"We must keep fighting to defend freedom and uphold science from those seeking to deny identity and take rights away," he said.

So-called conversion therapy is psychological interventions that seek to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and has been widely panned by medical organizations.

Washington State is one of more than 20 in the nation to have implemented laws that prevent minors from being subjected to the controversial practice, and the judges on Tuesday said the state relied upon scientific evidence to prohibit the practice on children, regardless of religious beliefs.

Tingley had argued the law violated one's freedom of religion and freedom of exercise under the First Amendment, stating the legislature knew that most people sought conversion therapy for religious reasons.

However, the three-judge panel rejected this argument on the grounds that the legislature was aware people seek conversion therapy also for secular reasons, including social stigma, family rejection and societal intolerance for sexual minorities.

"Affirming the dismissal of Tingley's challenge under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, the panel held that the law was a neutral law targeted at preventing the harms associated with conversion therapy, and not at the religious exercise of those who wish to practice this type of therapy on minors," Gould wrote.

The judges also rejected Tingley's claim that the law was unconstitutionally vague, specifically due to its use of the terms "sexual orientation" and gender identity."

"Neither term is unconstitutionally vague," Gould said. "'Sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' have common meanings that are clear to a reasonable person -- let alone a licensed mental health provider."

Mathew Shurka, cofounder of Born Perfect, a campaign to end conversion therapy by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said laws such as the one passed by Washington State are critical to protecting minors from unethical therapists.

"As a survivor of more than five years of conversion therapy, I know firsthand how damaging these practices are to young people and their families," Shurka said in a statement emailed to UPI. "The medical community has rejected these practices because they are harmful, ineffective and unnecessary.


"Being LGBTQ is not a mental health disorder. Trying to change such a fundamental aspect of a person's identity not only impossible, it is profoundly dangerous and cases serious, lasting harm."

Read Gov. Wolf signs EO to ban conversion therapy in Pennsylvania

Banning conversion therapy is a ‘vital step for equality’, Scottish Greens say

Chris Jarvis 13 January 2024 



A full ban on conversion practices is a vital step for LGBTQIA+ equality and dignity, the Scottish Greens have said.

The comments were made as a Scottish Government consultation on banning the conversion therapy has been published. Conversion practices are acts which intend to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

A ban on conversion practices was a central pledge of the cooperation agreement between the Scottish Greens and SNP.

The Party’s equality spokesperson, Maggie Chapman said: “This is an important day for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people in Scotland. Conversion practices are not therapy. They are abusive and coercive. They are a form of violence that has no place in a modern or progressive Scotland, or anywhere, for that matter.

“The UK government appears to have reneged on its commitment to deliver a ban of any kind, let alone the watertight one that is so necessary.

“Far too many people have suffered for far too long. Nobody should be told there is something wrong with them or be forced to be ashamed of who they are, just because of their identity.

“The Scotland I want to see is one where everybody can live safely and freely as the people they really are. That cannot happen as long as conversion practices are still taking place.”

The consultation has also been welcomed by people with lived experience of conversion practices, including Scottish Green councillor Blair Anderson, who was a member of the Scottish Government’s Expert Advisory Group on Ending Conversion Practices.

Anderson said: “What was done to me was wrong, and I am far from the only person who has been abused in this way. So-called conversion therapy is being done in households and communities across Scotland. Today’s consultation is a key step towards ending these awful practices for good.

“It is a scary time for the LGBTQ+ community, with a resurgence in hate crimes and abuse against our trans siblings in particular. We have seen a brutal and reactionary culture war that politicians and parts of the media have knowingly stoked and encouraged.

“By banning conversion therapy we can take a key step for equality and towards tackling the pain and the prejudice that so many have had inflicted on them.”

GOOD NEWS
Canada introduces bill to ban 'conversion therapy'
The Canadian government on Monday announced a bill to ban so-called "conversion therapy," which tries to change the sexual orientation of young LGBT people.

© Ian Willms Canada plans bill to ban gay "conversion therapy", including prohibiting subjecting a minor to the practice, either in Canada or abroad

The bill would create five new offenses in the Canadian criminal code, including prohibiting subjecting a minor to the practice, either in Canada or abroad.

An adult would also not be able to undergo conversion therapy against his or her will, and no one would be allowed to profit from or advertise it.

If the bill passes, Canada's laws on conversion therapy would become some of the "most progressive and comprehensive in the world," David Lametti, the minister of justice, told reporters while presenting the bill to parliament.

Two adults who had been forced to undergo conversion therapy in childhood testified on about their experiences.

"I'm a survivor of conversion therapy," said Erika, a trans woman.

"My body is a prison because of what my conversion therapist did to me, and I live with that every day," she said in a vehement denunciation of the practice.

The bill's adoption by parliament appears all but assured, even though Justin Trudeau's Liberal government is the minority in the House of Commons. The left-wing New Democratic Party has already announced it intends to back the bill.

The bill states that conversion therapy causes harm not only to the victims but also to society, particularly because the practice is founded on and helps spread myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity, including the myth that sexual orientation and gender identity can and should be changed.

The law would define conversion therapy as "any service, practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual, gender identity to one that matches the sex assigned at birth, or to repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviors."

According to a recent official survey, 47,000 Canadian men who identify as part of a minority sexuality group had been subjected to conversion therapy.

  

The solar-driven CO2 utilization is free from the uncertainty of sunlight supply

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

 

IMAGE: 

(A) THE PROCESS OF NATURAL PHOTOSYNTHESIS. (B) THE PROCESS OF ARTIFICIAL PHOTOSYNTHESIS BY DECOUPLING LIGHT REACTION AND DARK REACTION IN THIS WORK.

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CREDIT: ©SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

Converting CO2 into CO, CH4, CH3OH, and other compounds through artificial photocatalysis in all weather conditions is a sustainable approach aimed at concurrently mitigating the energy crisis and realizing net CO2 emission. Photogenerated electrons have a lifespan ranging from sub-picoseconds to a few seconds, resulting in the prompt cessation of the photocatalytic reaction upon the termination of illumination. The inconsistency in the availability of solar energy, influenced by factors like daylight duration and weather conditions, creates a significant barrier for the widespread adoption of solar-driven CO2 conversion.

In a new research article titled “Sustainable all-weather CO2 utilization by mimicking natural photosynthesis in a single material” published in National Science Review, a joint team from the Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shaanxi Normal University presented a novel concept to decouple light and dark reaction processes by mimicking natural photosynthesis, showcasing the feasibility of achieving sustainable CO2 conversion even in the absence of light.

They prepared a Pt-loaded hexagonal-WO3 as the model catalyst, for the purpose of storing photogenerated electrons and hydrogen atoms under light irradiation in the dark. The unique characteristics of the WO3 carrier—its ability to alternate between valence states (W6+/W5+) and its hexagonal tunnel structures—combined with Pt's proficiency in water splitting and transferring hydrogen atoms onto the h-WO3 surface and tunnel structures, are the key to achieve the decoupling of light and dark reactions for CO2 conversion. When exposed to simulated sunlight for 10 minutes, the catalyst was able to convert CO2 to CH4 in the dark for 10 days, indicating the possibility of a single material promoting CO2 conversion in all-weather conditions. In pursuit of practical applications, the team designed outdoor experimental equipment and conducted continuous 15-day experiments using natural light. Results revealed that the CO2 reduction process remained effective at night and on rainy days, indicating the proposed concept enables round-the-clock and all-weather CO2 conversion. By separating the light and dark reactions, solar-driven CO2 utilization becomes independent of uncertainties related to sunlight availability.

(A) SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF OUTDOOR EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT. (B) SOLAR LIGHT INTENSITY. (C) PRODUCTION OF CH4 IN 16 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH 12-H DAYTIME AND 12-H NIGHT-TIME. DAYTIME REPRESENTS 7: 00 TO 19: 00, AND NIGHT-TIME REPRESENTS 19: 00 TO 7: 00 OF THE NEXT DAY. (D) CUMULATIVE YIELD OF CH4.

CREDIT

©Science China Press

See the article:

Sustainable all-weather CO2 utilization by mimicking natural photosynthesis in a single material

Natl Sci Rev 2023; doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwad275

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad275

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JOURNAL

National Science Review

DOI

10.1093/nsr/nwad275 

Selective conversion of CO2 into dimethyl ether over hydrophobic and gallium-modified copper catalysts

Peer-Reviewed Publication

DALIAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS, CHINESE ACADEMY SCIENCES

 

IMAGE: 

THE PROXIMITY OF CU AND GA SPECIES OVER CU/GA-SIO2-20ME CATALYST COULD SIMULTANEOUSLY REALIZE TANDEM REACTIONS OF HYDROGENATION OF CO2 TO METHANOL AND DEHYDRATION OF METHANOL TO DME, WHERE FURTHER TRANSPORTATION AND RE-ADSORPTION OF METHANOL INTERMEDIA TO THE HYDROPHOBIC CATALYST WAS AVOIDED. MOREOVER, THE METHYL GROUPS EFFICIENTLY REMOVED THE WATER GENERATED IN THESE TWO REACTIONS, SHIFTING THE REACTION EQUILIBRIUM FORWARD. IN THIS CASE, CO2 CONVERSION AND DME SELECTIVITY WERE BOTH PROMOTED OVER CU/GA-SIO2-20ME CATALYST.

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CREDIT: CHINESE JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS

The selective conversion of CO2 and H2 into valuable chemicals and fuels is a promising route for carbon recycling. Multiple routes have been developed for the CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, higher alcohols, dimethyl ether (DME), aromatics, hydrocarbon, and olefins. Among these products, DME is attractive because it is nontoxic and noncorrosive and has been used as a platform chemical in industry, a carrier for hydrogen, and an additive for fuels.

A series of catalysts has been synthesized for the direct hydrogenation of CO2-to-DME via cascade catalysis involving methanol synthesis and methanol condensation to DME over a supported copper catalyst. However, high DME selectivity was only achieved at low conversion of CO2, resulting in poor one-pass productivity. When the CO2 conversion increased, abundant by-products of CO, methanol, and hydrocarbons were produced. A recent trend is CO2 to DME conversion over bifunctional catalysts, such as acid oxide-supported copper nanoparticles, but their performance is still unsatisfactory. In addition, the copper nanoparticles were sintered during catalysis, resulting in poor durability.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Feng-Shou Xiao and Prof. Liang Wang from Zhejiang University, China, overcomes these limitations by developing a highly active, selective, and durable copper nanoparticle catalyst for converting CO2-to-DME. This was achieved by loading Cu nanoparticles onto hydrophobic and Ga-modified silica supports. The Ga-modified silica provided moderate acidity for methanol dehydration to DME, which hindered deep dehydration to hydrocarbons. Importantly, the hydrophobic catalyst surface efficiently hinders the sintering of the Cu nanoparticles, which is usually triggered by water and methanol. Consequently, under the following reaction conditions (6000 mL gcat–1·h–1, 3 MPa, 240 °C), the CO2 conversion of 9.7%, DME and methanol selectivities of 59.3% and 28.4%, and CO selectivity of only 11.3% were obtained. In a continuous evaluation for 100 h, the performance was well maintained without any deactivation trend, outperforming the general supported Cu catalysts. For more detailed information, please refer to their publication in the Chinese Journal of Catalysis (https://doi.org/10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64535-8).

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About the Journal

Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top one journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 16.5. The Editors-in-Chief are Profs. Can Li and Tao Zhang.

At Elsevier http://www.journals.elsevier.com/chinese-journal-of-catalysis

Manuscript submission https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/cjcatal

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JOURNAL

Chinese Journal of Catalysis

DOI

10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64535-8 

ARTICLE TITLE

Selective hydrogenation of CO2 into dimethyl ether over hydrophobic and gallium-modified copper catalysts