Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 28 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Paul Givan
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 28 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5762582

Text

I thank the Member for again putting examples on the record. I appreciate that Members may say, "That is utterly absurd", and it is absurd, yet the Bill does not define "gender identity" in a constrained manner that would rule out what the Member said. If the Bill sponsor says that the examples that Mr Kingston has just outlined, such as celestial being — that you could somehow think that you are an angel and that that is now your identity is a nonsense — are absurd, he should rule them out by specifying precisely what is meant by "gender identity", but he does not.

105 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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