Religious leaders from across the world sign letter calling for gay conversation therapy ban

The Bishop of Liverpool and the co-founder of Ban Conversion Therapy speak to ITV


Hundreds of the world's top religious leaders have called for a blanket ban on gay conversion therapy.

The practice, which aims to changes a person's sexuality, is still carried out in the UK, despite strong support for it being banned.

There is no reliable evidence to say any of the ways it is practiced works.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in July the government was working on banning it in the country.

The signatories of the letter include South African cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Chief Rabbi of Ireland David Rosen.The Bishop of Liverpool Reverand Paul Bayes also signed the letter, he told ITV News: "It's important to say that we value everybody of whatever race and certainly of whatever sexual orientation."

He said a legal ban was the best way to ensure it didn't happen again.

Matthew Hyndman, the co-founder of the Ban Conversion Therapy campaign, told ITV News it was "wonderful" so many religious leaders had signed the letter