<p class="title rtejustify">Britain unveiled on Tuesday its "action plan" to tackle discrimination against the gay community, which includes bringing forward legislation to ban the practice of conversion therapy.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The plan was drawn up using data from an online survey that received 108,000 responses, making it the largest ever national survey of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people anywhere in the world.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Around 2% of respondents said they had received some form of conversion therapy, while another 5% had had it offered to them but refused.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">LGBT rights group Stonewall defines conversion therapy as "any form of treatment or psychotherapy which aims to reduce or stop same-sex attraction," although the survey did not provide a definition.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"These activities are wrong, and we are not willing to let them continue," said the government plan.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"We will fully consider all legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy." Just over a half of those receiving conversion therapy said it was conducted by a faith group, 19% by a healthcare professional and 16% by a parent or family member.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"We are not trying to prevent LGBT people from seeking legitimate medical support or spiritual support from their faith leader in the exploration of their sexual orientation or gender identity," added the report.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">More than two-thirds of LGBT respondents said they had avoided holding hands with a same-sex partner for fear of a negative reaction.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"I was struck by just how many respondents said they cannot be open about their sexual orientation or avoid holding hands with their partner in public for fear of a negative reaction," said Prime Minister Theresa May.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"No one should ever have to hide who they are or who they love. This LGBT action plan will set out concrete steps to deliver real and lasting change across society," she added.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Some 40% of respondents had experienced incidents such as verbal harassment or physical violence in the 12 months preceding the survey, but more than 90% of them went unreported, with respondents explaining "it happens all the time".</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The government plan includes appointing a national LGBT health adviser, extending an anti-homophobic bullying programme in schools and improving the recording and reporting of LGBT hate crimes.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">It also establishes £4.5 million "LGBT Implementation Fund" to help deliver the plan.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Of the respondents, 61% identified as gay or lesbian and a quarter identified as bisexual. About 4% identified as pansexual.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Younger respondents identified in larger numbers as bisexual, asexual, pansexual, queer or 'other', and 13% of the respondents were transgender, with 7% identifying as "non-binary" -- having a gender that was neither exclusively that of a man nor a woman. </p>
<p class="title rtejustify">Britain unveiled on Tuesday its "action plan" to tackle discrimination against the gay community, which includes bringing forward legislation to ban the practice of conversion therapy.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The plan was drawn up using data from an online survey that received 108,000 responses, making it the largest ever national survey of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people anywhere in the world.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Around 2% of respondents said they had received some form of conversion therapy, while another 5% had had it offered to them but refused.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">LGBT rights group Stonewall defines conversion therapy as "any form of treatment or psychotherapy which aims to reduce or stop same-sex attraction," although the survey did not provide a definition.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"These activities are wrong, and we are not willing to let them continue," said the government plan.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"We will fully consider all legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy." Just over a half of those receiving conversion therapy said it was conducted by a faith group, 19% by a healthcare professional and 16% by a parent or family member.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"We are not trying to prevent LGBT people from seeking legitimate medical support or spiritual support from their faith leader in the exploration of their sexual orientation or gender identity," added the report.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">More than two-thirds of LGBT respondents said they had avoided holding hands with a same-sex partner for fear of a negative reaction.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"I was struck by just how many respondents said they cannot be open about their sexual orientation or avoid holding hands with their partner in public for fear of a negative reaction," said Prime Minister Theresa May.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">"No one should ever have to hide who they are or who they love. This LGBT action plan will set out concrete steps to deliver real and lasting change across society," she added.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Some 40% of respondents had experienced incidents such as verbal harassment or physical violence in the 12 months preceding the survey, but more than 90% of them went unreported, with respondents explaining "it happens all the time".</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The government plan includes appointing a national LGBT health adviser, extending an anti-homophobic bullying programme in schools and improving the recording and reporting of LGBT hate crimes.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">It also establishes £4.5 million "LGBT Implementation Fund" to help deliver the plan.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Of the respondents, 61% identified as gay or lesbian and a quarter identified as bisexual. About 4% identified as pansexual.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Younger respondents identified in larger numbers as bisexual, asexual, pansexual, queer or 'other', and 13% of the respondents were transgender, with 7% identifying as "non-binary" -- having a gender that was neither exclusively that of a man nor a woman. </p>