Trans law should be scrapped, say church leaders as it would 'criminalise' Christian preaching

Church leaders have urged Labour to scrap its trans law over fears the hated policy would "criminalise" Christian preaching.

More than 1,300 pastor leaders and ministers penned a letter to Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson, pleading for amendments to the Conversion Practices Bill.

The draft bill seeks to imprison people for up to five years for pressuring someone to change their gender identity or sexuality.

Critics argue the proposal is poorly-drafted, risking the criminalisation of innocent parents, teachers and church leaders.

The religious leaders have now insisted the new legislation could target "normal, responsible Christian parenting".

Greater Love Declaration, which is a conservative Christian organisation, gathered the signatories, represents every major denomination.

Those who objected to the policy come from a number of denominations, including Anglican vicars and Catholic priests.

Signatories span from Church of England, to the Roman Catholic Church, as well as Presbyterians, Baptists and Pentecostals.

The letter alerts the Labour minister that the "grossly offensive" law risks the birth of a "speech crime" towards those practising Christianity.

It reads: "We will not cease to fulfil our duty to God to teach his ways faithfully, even if an unjust law should make us criminals for doing so."

Around another 1,500 supporters backed the plea directed at Ms Phillipson.

Graham Nicholls, who is the pastor of the evangelical Christ Church Haywards Heath, warned the policy marked the "beginning of policing any moral conversation".

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He said: "It will criminalise the everyday conversations parents and church workers have with children and adults where they explain the Bible’s teaching on sexuality and gender and encourage people to follow it.

"It would suppress freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

"It’s not plugging a gap in the law; it’s enforcing a particular ideology... It’s the beginning of policing any moral conversation."

He warned that hundeds of thousands of Christians could be caught out by the law.

A Government spokesman said Britons' freedom of belief would be respected by the ban, which is designed to target instances of abuse.

He said: "Simple prayer, expressing religious freedom or holding different beliefs are not abusive conversion practices and therefore not in scope of our draft bill.

"We have consulted with a range of religious leaders who have shared support of our draft bill.

"We have brought forward a draft bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in order to get this right and end almost a decade of delay for LGBT+ people who should never have to suffer abuse in an effort to change who they are."