How common is so-called 'conversion therapy' in the Jewish community?
In 2018 the Government carried out a survey on the experiences of LGBT+ people in the UK and 108,000 responded. All the results can be found here.
When they asked about 'conversion therapy' overall 2% of people had undergone it and 5% of people had been offered it.
When you look at the data and look specifically at the Jewish community, you can see it is higher rates of people.
Respondents were most likely to say that faith organisations had offered (53%) or conducted (51%) conversion therapy - which is why we feel that it's important members of the Jewish community understand what 'conversion therapy' is better, talk about it more and tell the Government how they feel about it.
When they asked about 'conversion therapy' overall 2% of people had undergone it and 5% of people had been offered it.
When you look at the data and look specifically at the Jewish community, you can see it is higher rates of people.
- For cisgender Jewish people (720 people) : 3% undergone it. 10% offered it.
- For transgender Jewish people (220 people) 13% undergone it. 12% offered it.
Respondents were most likely to say that faith organisations had offered (53%) or conducted (51%) conversion therapy - which is why we feel that it's important members of the Jewish community understand what 'conversion therapy' is better, talk about it more and tell the Government how they feel about it.
What are the experiences of those who have gone through it?
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In 2021 KeshetUK held a panel for the UK Jewish community to share the experiences of some people who had been through these practices. To help explain why this practise is so damaging, dangerous and harmful.
Please watch this panel to hear from a variety of people who have experienced and survived so-called 'conversion therapy'. |
Other reports or writing of interest
Here are links to external websites (that we are not affiliated to or responsible for their content), that have research linked to this:
- Writing by Joe Hyman in the Jewish News - a Jewish survivor of so-called 'conversion therapy' practises
- The Government LGBT Survey Research Report
- The Cooper Report
- The Ozanne Foundation
- Read more experiences of people who have been through so-called 'conversion therapy' on the Ban Conversion Therapy website.
