The Interviewees
To tell a story with stakes as far-reaching as The Trans Cure? requires word from the people who know it best. These are the first and second hand victims of conversion therapy, and you can find out more about them and their stories below.
Adam Jowett
(He/Him)
Steph Richards
(She/Her)
Aboyami Kenny
(He/They)
Adam led the first government commissioned research on conversion therapy in 2018. He reviewed where conversion therapy bans had already been implemented and the impact of reparative therapy, or the process of trying to "cure" people of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Having fed this research back to the policy members, he said "there has been too little political bandwidth for such a big new law to pass".
Steph is the CEO of trans charity Translucent, based in Portsmouth, which was recognised as LGBT+ organisation of the year 2022. They are authorised by the Labour government to give briefings to political parties, and have made human rights submissions to the UN. As a trans woman, she has experienced conversion therapy first-hand and says that the ban being delayed comes down to us living in "a very angry society.
Aboyami is a pastor for House of Rainbow, a charity that supports LGBTQ+ people of colour of all ages and backgrounds. Being religious, they also face off against conversion therapy in their everyday lives and as an organisation. They provide pastoral care for victims of these therapies, but Aboyami says "religion is sadly being used a tool that is used to oppress people and change perspectives."
Julie Miller
(She/Her)
Gillian Russell
(She/Her)
Dominic Davies
(He/Him)
Julie is a gender recognition specialist who visits schools, universities, colleges and prisons to educate people about gender dysphoria. She speaks openly about her experiences as a trans woman, and with conversion therapy. She said that the attitudes of society are a form of conversion therapy, with the looks and comments that people give her for being herself.
Gillian is the CEO of Beyond Reflections, a charity that supports transgender people and their allies. She said that while she believes conversion therapy is dying out in the UK, it is still a big issue internationally as their helpline often receives lots of calls from trans people in the US. Rather than protesting, Beyond Reflections "quietly and effectively supports trans people".
In 1994, Dominic established PinkTherapy, a directory of nearly 1,000 therapists and councillors trained to support LGBT people with their issues. He has been staunchly opposed to conversion therapy his entire life, but is involved in groups advocating for a permanent ban, and they are hopeful a draft bill will be publicly released in 2026.
Alice Neale
(She/Her)
Jack Hanson
(They/Them)
Saba Ali
(She/Her)
In 1949, Alice was an early victim of trans conversion therapy. She came to me to say she wanted her story to be told, as she had bottled up her tragedy for so long. While what she went through would now be defined as trauma, back when she was young it was considered normal to try and "cure" them of their gender identity. Her story is at the centre of our investigation into the profound impact that conversion therapy has on trans people, echoing through their lives.
Jack is a clinical researcher from New Jersey with a special interest in how LGBT people are impacted by areas of science and medicine. They spoke about the different situation for a conversion therapy ban in the States, where the conservative court is trying to block any potential new bill. They said that the best way forwards is to understand and improve the clinical support available for victims in the trans community.
Saba sits on the board for the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition, which advocates for the draft bill which the government have spent the last seven years promising without delivering. She is also the Safety and Liaison Officer for UK Black Pride and noted the intersectionality between transphobia and racism, which is an area she thinks more people should talk about in the conversion therapy debate.