The European Commission has announced its intention to call on all European Union member states to prohibit gay 'conversion therapy,' a move prompted by a widespread public campaign and coming just days before the annual Brussels Pride festival celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
Commission President's Statement
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared on Wednesday that 'conversion practices' have 'no place in our Union.' Since taking office in 2019, von der Leyen has consistently promised to enhance protections for LGBTQ+ citizens across the bloc.
Prevalence of Conversion Practices
According to a 2024 survey by the EU's Agency for Fundamental Rights, one in four LGBTQ+ respondents reported having been subjected to the scientifically discredited practice aimed at altering their sexual orientation or gender identity. The highest incidence rates were recorded in Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Slovakia.
Petition Driving the Initiative
The commission's decision was spurred by a petition signed by over one million EU citizens, demanding 'a binding legal ban on conversion practices targeting LGBTQ+ citizens in the European Union.'
Current Legal Landscape
Currently, only 10 of the 27 EU nations have fully or partially outlawed conversion therapy, as reported by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association - Europe. Malta became the first EU country to ban attempts to change the sexual orientation of gay people in 2016. France subsequently followed suit, imposing jail sentences and fines on those who use such practices to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Commissioner's Remarks
Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner for equality, stated: 'Conversion practices are built on a lie, the lie that LGBTQ+ people need to be fixed, that there is something wrong with who they are. And there is, of course, nothing to fix, there is nothing to cure, and there is no one to change. You cannot torture away a person's identity, and you cannot legislate it away. And yet these practices continue, unfortunately.'
Upcoming Brussels Pride
Tens of thousands of people are expected to march through Brussels on Saturday as the city hosts its 30th annual parade for LGBTQ+ rights and culture, taking place in the institutional heart of the EU.
