Designs include messages such as “Abuse doesn’t take a summer break”
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY STONEWALL
Stonewall has launched a postcard campaign directed at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, urging him to address the long-pending issue of conversion therapy. Despite a pledge made over five years ago to outlaw the harmful practice, the UK Government has left the LGBTQIA community feeling exposed and let down by long delays in the process of creating the ban.
According to reports by ITV, a critical Bill that could finally bring an end to the abuse from conversion therapy has been gathering dust on the Prime Minister’s desk for weeks, while he embarks on his summer holiday.
Spearheading the campaign, Stonewall is offering supporters the opportunity to send one of four postcards with poignant messages directly to 10 Downing Street. Each postcard design conveys a distinct message, emphasising the urgency of the situation. The designs include:
- Abuse doesn’t take a summer break
- Wish you were here?
- Greetings from…
- Hope you’re having a nice summer Rishi…
Robbie de Santos, the Director of External Affairs at Stonewall, said: “Summer holidays are where memories are made that last a lifetime – but for many LGBTQ+ people this summer, those memories will be for all the wrong reasons.”
“LGBTQ+ people deserve to be safe from psychological harm, and we need the UK Government to take decisive action to protect us from damaging practices such as so-called ‘conversion therapy’. The UK Government has had five years to halt the abuse which has scarred generations of LGBTQ+ people – yet it continues to play games with our lives.”
The 2021 census recorded over 1.5 million LGBTQIA people in England and Wales, and it is estimated that around 7% of them have been subjected to or offered conversion therapy. The postcard campaign serves as a collective voice, demanding the long-overdue protection of LGBTQIA individuals from psychological harm and abuse.
You can get your postcard today.
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