A Tory MP has urged the Government to ban LGBT+ conversion therapy - and warned people are falling victim to exorcisms and torture.
Elliot Colburn, who is openly gay, told GB News he feared steps to make it illegal were being unduly delayed due to the “toxic” nature of the ongoing trans-debate.
In an interview with Gloria De Piero he said: “We have got to a place where, thankfully, we have a settled agreement with the government that they are going to ban this.
“What we're concerned about at the moment, is we've been waiting for some time and we're about to come to the end of the parliamentary session.
Elliot Colburn says he feared steps to make it illegal were being unduly delayed due to the 'toxic' nature of the ongoing trans-debate
GB News
“We want to just get this off the ground. It's relatively straightforward legislation. It really is.
"All it is asking is for no one to be subjected to abuse because of their identity. And it's a relatively simple concept in my mind.
"But sadly, because of the very loud and toxic debate that has started, particularly around the trans community, but other parts of the LGBT community I think that's the reason that there's been such a delay.
"The government I think is struggling to navigate that minefield.”
Opening up about his own personal experience of the therapy he continued: “I've had constituents who are being subjected to things that are still legal such as deliverance, prayer, exorcisms and things like that.
“I had one constituent who had to go to their place of worship for seven days a week and was subjected to hours and hours of groups of religious leaders praying over them, literally over them.
"Laying them down and having them pray over their body, speaking in tongues and things like that. Saying things like, ‘Devil get out, devil get out’. And that, to me, is a form of emotional abuse and I’d even go so far to say is torture.”
On the impact the ongoing debate around trans-issues is having he said: “For me the number one priority is trying to take the heat out of the national discussion around trans issues.
"There is a lot of misinformation out there, but there's also a lot of anger. And there are legitimate conversations to be had.
Watch the full interview on Gloria Meets, Sunday at 6pm on GB News
GB News
"I think, actually, the number one priority at the moment is finding a way to navigate through so that we can have a respectful conversation on the issue.
"There has been this massive furore, and I think we really do need to try and take the heat out of it.”
Meanwhile Colburn, the MP Carshalton and Wallington also detailed the sickening homophobic abuse he has suffered since entering politics.
He said: I'd obviously seen and experienced homophobia before, but I think it really hit home for me when I was in Wallington High Street, one of the largest high streets in my patch and this guy came up to me and said, ‘I was going to vote for you, but I found out that you're gay. That's disgusting. I'm voting for the Brexit party’."
Watch the full interview on Gloria Meets, Sunday at 6pm on GB News.