The United Kingdom’s current administration is finally moving forward on its 2018 promise to ban conversion therapy. There isn’t an official date provided yet for when it will happen, though the administration (Liz Truss) said it will be “shortly”. Plus, because the ban will be nationwide and probably comprehensive, there is more planning behind the legislation so that so called religious and faith-based settings aren’t exempt from the ban. It doesn’t surprise me much that the current administration will carry this out, considering that it made it considerably more fair for gay/bi people to donate blood (whereas the USA’s blood donation policy for gay/bi people is still draconian).
Speaking of the USA, only 20 of its states (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico) have banned conversion therapy, in addition to about 80 additional cities/counties (Florida, which hasn’t banned conversion therapy, has 23 cities/counties that have done it themselves.) Considering how extensively religious institutions in the United States have exploited the first amendment, it’s very unlikely the US will be able to do a nation wide ban anytime soon, at least not until its Supreme Court is reformed. Interestingly, there have been very few countries that have also banned conversion therapy. Brazil was the very first, having done so in 1999, followed by Ecuador, Malta, Germany, and Taiwan much later. Ireland is in the process of banning it, having started it before the UK.