Over 200 members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies gathered at City Hall in Norwich on Saturday to protest against the government's plans to exclude transgender people from the bill to ban conversion therapy.

Conversion Therapy is a practise of trying to change someone's sexual orientation to straight and their gender to cisgender through psychological, physical and spiritual interventions.

There is no evidence to prove that this works, and medical institutions have warned that these practises are often ineffective and harmful to people who undertake them.

Local people attended the Norwich Pride’s ‘Protect Trans Lives’ protest.

There were speakers, songs and chants as the protestors held the Norwich Pride 15-metre trans flag.


Andrew Copeman, chair of the Norwich Pride Trans Advisory Group said: “It was thrilling to see so many people at the protest and to feel the support of our allies.

“We're stronger together as a community and can make big changes when we come together."

Speaker Tiffany Hughes said: "It's really horrible what's happening at the moment.

“They just want to get rid of us (trans people) by banning us from toilets, trying to convert us and running aggressive articles in the media.

“Trans healthcare is expensive and there's long waiting lists. We should all work together for trans rights and also for a well-funded, more inclusive NHS."

Nick O'Brien, chair of Norwich Pride trustees, said: "Our mission at Norwich Pride is to live in a city where everyone feels safe and proud to be themselves.

“In the words of the artist Micah Bazant, 'there is no pride for some of us without liberation for all of us'.

“The fact that the Government has – under pressure – recognised the abusive nature of conversion therapy and protected LGB people, but deliberately ignored the Trans members of our community, is deplorable."

Norwich Pride has written to Chloe Smith MP (Conservative, Norwich North) and Clive Lewis MP (Labour, Norwich South) to express our outrage at the government’s plans to exclude Trans people from the Ban Conversion Therapy legislation.