Labour peer Lord Robert Winston, Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College London, warned the House of Lords against a ban on ‘conversion therapy’ based on observations from his longstanding practice in reproductive medicine, and the alarming lack of data to back legislation.
“When it comes to transgender, there is far more that is not known than there is known.
Cases of deep regret and depression after transitioning
“It is very, very clear from my own practice in reproductive medicine that actually a number of people who have had transgender procedures – when they are now in post-menopausal stage of life, have deep regrets. So much so that occasionally they become deeply depressed.
Of course most of the time we can see very clearly that there many couples who are happy with their new gender assignment. But that is not invariable, and we don’t understand that.”
‘Legislating for a piece of biology we really don’t understand’
“But the basic problem, my lords, is this – that here we are, at risk of legislating for a piece of biology that we really don’t understand. We don’t understand the underlying mechanisms. We don’t even have the figures of knowing how common this really is, we don’t even know the follow-up. None of the papers have looked at the incidents, have followed up on patients for long enough to get a clear-eyed view of what’s really needed. And I think therefore any kind of legislation, putting this into law, is wrong.
Bill circumvents legal and medical course of action
“What we might want to do is call for a search. Rather than having a regulatory body for human fertilisation and embryology which I think now is completely unnecessary because there are ways of doing this. We could certainly consider a statutory authority for this sort of treatment, because there is so much more to understand, to learn and to follow up these patients. In my view that would be something that would be really useful. But I have to say that I think it would be quite wrong for us to pass this bill and I cannot see any serious amendments would really actually help it on its progress, my Lords.”
Chromosomal, genetic, hormonal and psychological sex is evident in every cell of the body
In 2021 on BBC Question Time, Lord Winston lamented that a scientist could not state categorically “you cannot change your sex” without being met with emotional arguments and accusations of being ‘transphobic’.
Science affirms that God predetermines our sex which is encoded in our genetic data – from the moment we are conceived. Either male or female, we express the image of God by living in biological truth, and being grateful for the way he has created us. We must take an ever-stronger stand against legislation, like a ‘conversion therapy’ ban, that would affirm falsehood.