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Stormont MLAs have been urged to pass proposed legislation that would ban gender or sexuality conversion practices in Northern Ireland.

Those guilty of trying to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity could be jailed for up to two years under the provisions of Private Member’s Bill tabled by Alliance Party deputy leader Eóin Tennyson.

Mr Tennyson became emotional as he opened an Assembly debate on the second stage of his Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill by relaying the testimony of people who have been subjected to conversion therapies in the past.

He said the Bill would tackle a “specific and pernicious form of abuse” in society.

However, unionist MLAs voiced opposition to the Bill, claiming it could potentially limit freedom of expression. They also highlighted that coercive practices and abuse were already criminal offences on the statute.

Introducing the Bill, Mr Tennyson told the Assembly: “No-one in our society should be abused, harmed or coerced simply because of who they are or who they love, but, right now, gaps in existing law are allowing a specific and pernicious form of abuse to persist in our society.

“Conversion practices are driven by a belief that LGBTQ+ people are ill and in need of a cure, that they can be forcibly changed and that subjecting someone to just enough psychological pressure will somehow stop them from being who they authentically are.

“Many people assume that conversion practices are a relic of a very distant past, but, sadly, these cruel and archaic acts persist in our society today.

“People are shamed, humiliated and told that they are broken. Their own adverse childhood experiences are weaponised and used against them. People are locked in cupboards until they reflect and repent, or are threatened with rape if they do not change their identity.

“Those are real stories that involve real people in our communities and real abusers who are getting away with that heinous abuse.

“With this Bill, that changes.”

DUP MLA Phillip Brett questioned the contention that the Bill dealt with actions that were not currently criminal offences.

“He (Mr Tennyson) said that the Bill will deal with issues that have not been criminalised,” he told the Assembly.

“He outlined disgraceful practices, including threats of rape, locking people in cupboards and physical violence. Obviously, those things are, rightly, criminal offences already. Clearly, threatening to rape someone is already on the statute book. Locking someone in a cupboard is clearly false imprisonment. Those things are, rightly, on the statute book already.”

Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows warned the Bill could lead to the criminalisation of parents offering advice and support to their children.

He said it could result in mothers and fathers feeling the need to record conversations with their children in case they ended up in court.

“Those who have persecuted and bullied and harassed people because of their sexual orientation are wrong,” he said.

“There’s no place for it. I have no place for hate crime of any shape or form.

“But this Bill is not the answer. This Bill makes good parenting hazardous. It makes freedom of expression dangerous, and I’d actually urge everybody to vote against it at this stage.”

Ahead of the debate, activists supportive of the Bill held a rally outside Parliament Buildings in Belfast.

Alexa Moore from the Rainbow Project said: “We’re here to send a message that LGBTQI+ people don’t need to be cured, that they aren’t wrong, and that people in Northern Ireland should be able to live and to love who they want and to be who they are.

“And you know, we think that this legislation has the real potential to send that message to LGBTQI+ people across Northern Ireland.”

MLA opposed to the Bill could ultimately table a petition of concern mechanism that would effectively veto its progress.

However, that Assembly tool can only be deployed at later stages of a Bill’s Assembly journey.

MLAs at Stormont were set for a late night at the Assembly on Tuesday before a vote was held on whether to pass the Bill on to the next stage of the legislative process the committee stage.