Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Brian Kingston on .
- MLA
- Mr Brian Kingston
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 22 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5741076
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you. The point about faith is that not all Christians take the same position, so there needs to be tolerance of the fact that there will be difference. There are Churches and ministers and pastors who will preach that homosexuality is wrong, that it is wrong in the Bible, that there is only male and female and that your biological sex — your gender — cannot be changed. That will be preached from pulpits. The Bill states at clause 7(1) that:
"there is no intent to change or suppress sexual orientation or gender identity if— ... (b) the intent is solely to express beliefs or opinions, without directing a victim towards a particular sexual orientation or gender identity".
If a preacher preaches that homosexuality is wrong and sinful and someone in a congregation feels that that is being directed at them, according to the wording in the Bill, they could take a case against the preacher. However, the preacher is standing in good faith for what they see as biblical principle. It is not against that individual but is standing for biblical principle as they see it.
Will the Member give way briefly?
Just briefly.
If someone says, "Pastor, I want to meet you one-to-one for you to explain the biblical position to me. I'm a member of your congregation. I want to understand your thinking — your direction — on this", and the pastor says, "This is what the Bible teaches. This is what I believe" and sets that out, the individual could say that that met the criteria in the Bill. We are talking about the wording in the Bill, not what Eóin Tennyson said on 'Talkback' or in the Chamber. When it comes to a legal case, the judge will interpret what is in the legislation.
300 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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