“Conversion therapy or “gay healing” often causes permanent psychological damage. That is why we must also ban this practice in Belgium,” writes Fourat Ben Chikha (Greens) on the International Day against Lgbt Phobia and Transphobia.
Since last week, conversion therapy has been prohibited by law in Germany, at least for minors. Conversion therapy or “gay healing” has a clear goal: to try to make LGBT people directly through therapeutic sessions. So to force someone not to be themselves.
This is not a distant show, but a bitter reality for many. Even in my own life. In the time shortly after my coming out as an 18-year-old gay man. There I was, denied by my family and homeless people. Among the various nightly menacing calls from different family members lived the belief among them that I was sick or worse obsessed with the devil. And I had to be healed as soon as possible. The condition to be allowed to return home was associated with my father’s request to be healed by an imam. Meet? I thought for a moment because my mother’s lack had a big impact on well-being. But thank God I inherited my mother’s stubbornness and followed her most important counsel: follow your heart.
Let’s end the inhumane practice of “gay healing” in Belgium
The method of this conversion or restoration is often the same, committed to a sense of shame and guilt. It sometimes goes far in and often with permanent psychological damage. If this proves insufficient, the issue of sexual and gender diversity is a matter of sexual and gender diversity. This is not a new phenomenon like the Research at the UCLA Williams Institute teaches us. In America alone, there are nearly 700,000 LGBTQ people who have undergone such conversion therapy. According to the same researchers, another 80,000 young LGBT people could be vulnerable to the practice in the future.
In the US, conversion therapy is a booming business, and the emotional and physical suffering of LGBT people and transgender people comes with a huge economic gain.
And although Germany is now taking a clear position and this criminal decision can only be welcomed, this is not the end. For example, conversion therapy could be imposed on adult children in everyday life. And it is also assumed that adults are not receptive to conversion therapy, which is obviously not the case in reality. After all, how many adults are completely independent of their parents or the environment from the age of 18 and, if they are ever confronted with conversion therapy, could resist without fear of repercussions?
In the US, conversion therapy is a booming business, and the emotional and physical suffering of LGBT people and transgender people comes with a huge economic gain. In many faith communities, there is still the old belief that orientation is a choice or is taught. And while conversion therapy is already a criminal offence in 20 states, the view that “orientation is a choice” is supported by the growing anti-gender movement, which makes the fight for sexual and reproductive rights more difficult.
The anti-gender movement is also gaining momentum in Europe
Belgium is second in the Rainbow Europe Index ilga-europe, a map that depicts the rights of the LGBT+ community and shows how a country scores. Belgium is doing very well compared to other European countries and is doing its best to protect the rights of the LGBT+ community. However, despite Belgium’s score, there is no legal framework at home that condemns and bans this practice.
In Europe, too, the anti-gender movement is gaining momentum and our sexual and reproductive rights are being jeopardised. Just think of how the government in Poland wants to restrict women’s right to choose an abortion. The abolition of the university gender study in Hungary. Most latest example from Hungary, so it is impossible to change your gender as a trans and intersex person, it is to change your gender on all your official documents.
So, like Germany and the United States, let us do what is necessary here to put a stop to this inhumane practice. And ensure that conversion therapy or “gay healing” is also banned in Belgium.
Since last week, conversion therapy has been prohibited by law in Germany, at least for minors. Conversion therapy or “gay healing” has a clear goal: to try to make LGBT people directly through therapeutic sessions. So to force someone not to be themselves. This is not a distant show, but a bitter reality for many. Even in my own life. In the time shortly after my coming out as an 18-year-old gay man. There I was, denied by my family and homeless people. Among the various nightly menacing calls from different family members lived the belief among them that I was sick or worse obsessed with the devil. And I had to be healed as soon as possible. The condition to be allowed to return home was associated with my father’s request to be healed by an imam. Meet? I thought for a moment because my mother’s lack had a big impact on well-being. But thank God I inherited my mother’s stubbornness and followed her most important counsel: Follow your heart. The method of this conversion or restoration is often the same, committed to a sense of shame and guilt. It sometimes goes far in and often with permanent psychological damage. If this proves insufficient, the issue of sexual and gender diversity is a matter of sexual and gender diversity. This is not a new phenomenon, as research at the UCLA Williams Institute teaches us. In America alone, there are nearly 700,000 LGBTQ people who have undergone such conversion therapy. According to the same researchers, another 80,000 young LGBT people could be vulnerable to the practice in the future. And although Germany is now taking a clear position and this criminal decision can only be welcomed, this is not the end. For example, conversion therapy could be imposed on adult children in everyday life. And it is also assumed that adults are not receptive to conversion therapy, which is obviously not the case in reality. After all, how many adults are completely independent of their parents or the environment from the age of 18 and, if they are ever confronted with conversion therapy, could resist without fear of repercussions? In the US, conversion therapy is a booming business, and the emotional and physical suffering of LGBT people and transgender people comes with a huge economic gain. In many faith communities, there is still the old belief that orientation is a choice or is taught. And while conversion therapy is already a criminal offence in 20 states, the view that “orientation is a choice” is supported by the growing anti-gender movement, which makes the fight for sexual and reproductive rights more difficult. Belgium ranks second in the ilga-Europe Es Rainbow Europe Index, a map that maps the rights of the LGBT+ community and shows how a country scores. Belgium is doing very well compared to other European countries and is doing its best to protect the rights of the LGBT+ community. However, despite Belgium’s score, there is no legal framework at home that condemns and bans this practice. In Europe, too, the anti-gender movement is gaining momentum and our sexual and reproductive rights are being jeopardised. Just think of how the government in Poland wants to restrict women’s right to choose an abortion. The abolition of the university gender study in Hungary. The most recent example from Hungary makes it impossible, as a trans and intersex person, to have your gender changed on all official documents. So, like Germany and the United States, let us do what is necessary here to put a stop to this inhumane practice. And ensure that conversion therapy or “gay healing” is also banned in Belgium.