Debate contribution: Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Paul Frew on .
- MLA
- Mr Paul Frew
- 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 5741346
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The reason why it and clause 6 especially are so dangerous is not only in what we have just talked about regarding gender identity but that the Bill sponsor pushes the definition of "sexual orientation" further than it goes in any other setting in law. Clause 6(2) states:
"A reference to a victim’s sexual orientation" —
"sexual orientation" meaning, basically, that you are attracted to a sex —
"includes the victim having no sexual orientation towards other persons."
That goes further than the Equality Act 2010 and the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, which set the definition of "sexual orientation" as being:
"towards — (a) persons of the same sex; (b) persons of the opposite sex; or (c) persons of the same sex and of the opposite sex."
The Bill sponsor is going further in defining sexual orientation than any other legislation in this place.
148 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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