61 members of the “LGBTI Intergroup” in the European Parliament have addressed a joint letter to the EU Commission calling for an EU-wide ban on so-called conversion processes (“homo-\/trans*healing”).<\/p>\n
The letter, which was signed among others by the Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala and several Vice-Presidents* of the Green and Left Groups, opens with a pragmatic statement:<\/p>\n
“Conversion therapies” are torture<\/p>\n
This refers to attempts to change people’s sexual orientation or gender identity using pseudo-therapeutic methods. This can be attempted through psychological pressure as well as physical means and is clearly considered dangerous and ineffective in medicine. Nevertheless, according to the “International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims”, there are over 69 countries worldwide where such procedures are still legitimately used. In the European Union, for example, in France, the administration of drugs is on record and exorcisms are carried out on lesbians, bisexuals, gays and trans*. In Germany, homo-\/trans healing pseudo-therapies have been largely banned since this year.<\/p>\n
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\n\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3 So-called \u00ab\u00a0conversion therapy\u00a0\u00bb practices are torture – so say many international bodies and the UN expert on SOGI @victor_madrigal<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa Today, we addressed commissioners @VeraJourova<\/a>, @helenadalli<\/a> and @SKyriakidesEU<\/a> on the need for an EU-wide ban on them.#ConversionTherapy<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/RUCiP2cHnK<\/a><\/p>\n
— LGBTI Intergroup (@LGBTIintergroup) October 9, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n