For many viewers, Matthew “Matty” Hyndman is best known as one of the most memorable contestants from the BBC reality series The Traitors.
Long before he appeared on television, however, Hyndman was navigating an experience that would later shape his life and his activism.
After growing up in a conservative Christian environment, Hyndman has spoken publicly about being subjected to conversion practices intended to change or suppress his sexuality.
Rather than allowing that experience to define him, he became one of the co-founders of the Ban Conversion Practices campaign, which has spent years calling for legislation across the United Kingdom.
This week, campaigners reached an important milestone when the UK government published draft legislation that would prohibit conversion practices in England and Wales.
The proposed legislation would cover practices targeting both sexual orientation and gender identity and would include certain religious settings where abusive conversion practices have previously occurred.
However, the proposal is not yet law.
It must still progress through Parliament before it can take legal effect, and campaigners have stressed the importance of ensuring that the legislation is not weakened during that process.
Hyndman echoed that message in a post shared on Instagram.
He described the draft legislation as “a good ban” because it includes religious practices, protections for transgender people and protections even where someone is said to have consented.
At the same time, he reminded supporters that the legislation still has a long way to go before becoming law.
He concluded simply by saying, “Today is a good day. But we are not done yet.”
Away from campaigning, Hyndman has built a very different life from the one he once imagined.
He lives in Edinburgh with his partner Jason and their dog River.
The couple became engaged during the COVID pandemic, and Hyndman has spoken about how his views on marriage changed after finding the right person.
His appearance on The Traitors introduced him to millions of viewers, but it also gave him a larger platform to continue raising awareness about conversion practices and LGBTQ+ equality.
For many LGBTQ+ people, the government’s announcement represents meaningful progress rather than the end of the story.
If Parliament ultimately approves the legislation, it would mark one of the most significant legal protections against conversion practices introduced in the UK.
For Hyndman, it is also a reminder of how personal experiences can become powerful catalysts for change.
📸 IG: @yermatty
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