In a move that puts the British government to shame, lawmakers in New Zealand have introduced legislation stating that anyone who performs conversion therapy on someone under 18 can face up to 5 years in prison. 

Conversion therapy can involve a number of different ‘techniques’ including electro-shock therapy and the most widespread (and useless) of all, prayer. Praying the gay away is about useful as a novelty item you might purchase from Wish.com.

The Minister for Justice in New Zealand, Kris Faafoi, had this to say on the matter: “Conversion practices have no place in modern New Zealand. They are based on the false belief that any person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is broken and in need of fixing. Health professionals, religious leaders and human rights advocates here and overseas have spoken out against these practices as harmful and having the potential to perpetuate prejudice, discrimination and abuse towards members of rainbow communities”

Meanwhile, the UK Government had previously promised to ban all conversion therapies in the UK but is currently in limbo while religious groups (the perpetrators of some the most damaging forms of conversion therapy) are given their voice for some reason.