Dutch parliament agrees to ban gay conversion

 

The Dutch parliament has voted to criminalize so-called ‘conversion therapy’ in a victory for LGBTQ people in The Netherlands.

The new bill marks a significant step forward in protecting LGBTQ individuals from harmful and discredited interventions.

Conversion therapy incorporates various physically, emotionally and psychologically abusive methods to attempt to change someone’s gender and/or sexuality. This can include berating or beating, being forced to pray as a form of healing, and “corrective rape”.

The criminalization covers therapies involving electric shocks and faith healing practices, and it would be punishable to ‘systematically’ and ‘intrusively’ try to change someone’s gender and/or sexuality. 

However, simple conversations, such as between a religious leader and a believer, about trying not to be LGBTQ will not be criminalized under the new law.

“Love does not need to be cured,” said parliament member Wieke Paulusma. “With this law, we protect vulnerable people from harmful practices that endanger their health and safety. This is a choice for freedom, equality, and human dignity.”

Well done!!!

Labour government includes conversion therapy ban in King’s Speech

King Charles III delivered the first King’s Speech for the new Labour government at the State Opening of British Parliament.

Within the speech, the King announced a draft bill will be brought forward to ban conversion practices, confirming Labour plans to outlaw it after promising to do through a “full, trans-inclusive, ban”.

Conversion therapy incorporates abusive practice refers to attempts by anti-LGBTQ+ groups or individuals to forcibly change the sexuality or gender identity of an individual.

LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations welcomed the news, because conversion practices are abuse, and they must be banned once and for all.

The UK will join to several countries around the world which already banned this awful practice.

Mexico approves bill to ban conversion therapy nationwide

The Senate of Mexico approved a bill that would ban so-called conversion therapy in the country.

The measure passed by a 77-4 vote margin with 15 abstentions. The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Mexico’s congress, approved the bill last month.

The Senate described conversion therapy as “practices that have incentivized the violation of human rights of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Apart from being immoral and ineffective, conversion therapies can involve dangerous practices such as electric shocks, beatings or “corrective rape”, which can be harmful to the physical and mental health of the victims, on top of being stigmatising and discriminatory.

Besides Mexico, a lot of countries already banned conversion therapy, but it has to be banned around the world!!!

The Mayor of London advocates for trans community

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has spoken out against transgender people being “stigmatised, demonised or weaponised” in so-called ‘culture wars’.

Speaking to Gay Times at Pride in London, Khan emphasised the importance of keeping the community at the forefront of this year’s event and due to the ongoing stigma they face in both politics and the media.

“Listen, one of the things that’s the worst of all in politics is people being caught up in the crossfire of a ‘culture war’,” he said.

“And we see every day, not just so-called ‘jokes’ made by the Prime Minister behind closed doors, [but also] things in the mainstream media, clickbait from certain people where the trans community are used as clickbait or as pawns.”

“I’m quite clear, an attack on one minority is an attack on all minorities and an attack on all of us,” he added.

He called on the government to make sure “there are laws in place to protect all minorities, particularly the trans community” and urged it to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’ for all.

Over one million people took part in London Pride festivities

Michigan bans conversion therapy for LGBTQ youths

Michigan state senators voted 21-15 to ban conversion therapy by mental health professionals to change the gender identity or sexual orientation of minors.

The bill now head to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has railed against conversion therapy and in 2021 prohibited state funds from being used to assist such therapy for minors. 

Michigan is now poised to become the 22nd state to ban conversion therapy, a practice that researchers, experts and LGBTQ advocates say increases the risk of mental health issues and suicide attempts among LGBTQ youths. 

Check the U.S. map of conversion therapy laws below:

Movement Advancement Project: "Equality Maps: Conversion Therapy Laws" https://www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps/conversion_therapy 

Belgium closer to criminalise conversion therapies

Belgium’s parliamentary Justice Committee approved a bill to criminalise conversion therapies for LGBTQ people and give out prison sentences and fines for people who use conversion practices.

Suggesting, inciting or advertising conversion therapy will also become punishable.

A judge could also impose a professional ban of up to five years if the crime was committed in a professional context.

The proposal includes an eight-day to a two-year prison sentence and a fine of €208 to €2,400 for people who use conversion practices. 

The bill still needs to be approved by the rest of the Federal Parliament to enter into force.

Apart from being immoral and ineffective, conversion therapies can involve dangerous practices such as electric shocks, beatings or “corrective rape”, which can be harmful to the physical and mental health of the victims, on top of being stigmatising and discriminatory.

A lot of countries already banned conversion therapy, but it has to be banned around the world!!!

In color, which countries banned conversion therapies

New President Biden executive order focuses on transgender equity

President Joe Biden signed an executive order to continue the advancement of racial equity and uplift underserved communities, to pursue equity across the board to include Black, LGBTQ, and particularly transgender Americans.

This executive order makes clear that the agencies' work to ensure equity for LGBTQ Americans is part of their broader mandate. This is about racial equity, but it is about equity more broadly as well, and that includes for LGBTQ people.

This executive order is essential and timely when Republican politicians block equity in education, reproductive health, and gender-affirming care while simultaneously fueling hate-inspired violence.

President Biden is the most pro-LGBTQ president in history. He speaks directly to the trans kids and their families, who are being targeted by Republican lawmakers and legislatures in states across the country. 

During his State of the Union speech, President Biden called for the passage of the Equality Act as a way to protect LGBTQ rights. During Pride last June, President Biden also signed a historic executive order which tasked agencies to act against so-called conversion therapy.

President Joe Biden is a great LGBTQ's ally

Mexico votes to ban all conversion therapy

Mexico’s senate has voted to ban all conversion therapy that aims to alter sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. 69 lawmakers voted for the bill, with 2 against and 16 abstentions. It will now head to Mexico’s chamber of deputies for a final vote.

The vote has been years in the making, with the bill first introduced by senators from the parties Citizen Movement, Morena and the Green Party in October 2018.

The introducers said that conversion therapy’s “main victims are young LGBTQ+ people, causing irreparable damage to their mental health throughout their adult life and in the worst cases, driving them to suicide”.

Mexico city banned gay conversion therapy in 2020, its approval made the Mexican capital, which in 2009 was the first region of the country to legalize same-sex marriage, the first jurisdiction in Mexico to ban that practice.

Bravo Mexico!!! 

Nada que curar!

Vietnam declares being LGBTQ is not an illness and ends conversion therapy

 

Vietnam’s Health Ministry said being gay or trans is not an illness and urged medical practitioners to stop discriminating against LGBTQ people in health care . 

Vietnam’s Health Ministry published a document in line with the the World Health Organisation (WHO) which confirmed that homosexuality is entirely not an illness, therefore homosexuality cannot be "cured" nor needs to be "cured" and cannot be converted in any way.

The statement also urged medical professionals need to be fair and respectful of queer people’s sexuality and not to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. The document also stated that so called conversion therapy, to change a persons sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal.

As the most trusted source of medical authority in Vietnam, the impact of Vietnam’s Health Ministry on social perceptions or queerness will be enormous. Now, Rights groups inside Vietnam are simultaneously pushing for legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage.

Read the statement here.

France to create an ambassador role to promote LGBTQ rights worldwide

 

France’s Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, announced the new LGBTQ ambassador position on the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the country.

Borne visited an LGBTQ centre in Orleans, where she unveiled plans for the new government position. The Prime Minister said the role of the ambassador is to “campaign for the decriminalisation everywhere of homosexuality and trans identity.”

There is full support for the creation of the role by President Emmanuel Macron and his government. The ambassador will be appointed by the end of the year.

She continued: “The President of the Republic’s approach, my approach, the government’s approach is not ambiguous: we will continue to fight to make progress on the rights of the LGBTQ.”

Earlier this year the French government banned so-called ‘conversion therapy’. Remember that same-sex marriage is legal in France since 2013. In 2018, 70 French artists joined forces to tackle homophobia, and also France, with other 15 EU countries, denounced Hungary's new anti-LGBT law last 2021.

President Biden to sign executive order to fight anti-LGBTQ state bills

President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order aimed at combating a historic number of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures across the country.

The order will direct federal health and education agencies to expand access to gender affirming care and advance LGBTQ-inclusive learning environments at American schools.

It will also curb federal funding for the debunked practice of “conversion therapy,” which nearly every leading U.S. medical association has condemned, and ask the Federal Trade Commission to consider whether the practice constitutes an unfair or deceptive act.

The president's order comes during LBGTQ Pride month and as advocates fight against a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in states across the country this year.

A bulk of the bills signed into law in recent months, 24 in 12 Republican states,  aim to limit access to gender affirming care for transgender youth, prohibit trans girls and women from competing on girls' sports teams in school, and bar the instruction of LGBTQ issues in school.

Under the executive order, a coordinating committee will also be established to lead efforts across federal agencies to strengthen the collection of data on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Greece to ban conversion therapy for minors

Greece banned conversion therapy for minors, a practice aimed at suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and which the LGBT community worldwide, as well as health experts, have condemned as harmful.

Under the bill, which Greece’s parliament approved, psychologists or other health professionals need a person’s explicit consent to perform such treatment and face fines and a prison term if they violate the law.

The government has drafted a national strategy that runs until 2025 on reforms promoting gender equality in Greece, a largely conservative country. Canada, New Zealand and France criminalized conversion therapy earlier this year.

“There were some false treatments that stated that when a minor has chosen a different sexual orientation, his parents could supposedly proceed with ‘treatments’ for this child to ‘return to normality,’” Health Minister Thanos Plevris told. 

“Obviously these treatments not only are not a therapy but they are not supported scientifically,” the minister added.

United Nations urged to ban conversion therapy worldwide.

Greek Parliament approved same-sex civil unions in 2015

World religious leaders vow to protect LGBT+ lives

 

More than 150 senior religious leaders from across the globe have committed to protecting LGBT+ people in faith communities, in the 2022 Conference of the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives.

Faith leaders from 30 countries attended the conference, including the Anglican Archbishop of Canada, the Chief Rabbi of Poland and the former President of Ireland, Dr Mary McAleese. 

The group discussed recently commissioned research into conversion therapy practices in Caribbean and Hungary and its findings, including the “significantly higher levels of suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts and self-harm experienced” by survivors.

The group agreed to six principles designed to protect LGBT+ folk in religious communities:

Empowerment – We believe all individuals are made in the image of God, whom many call the Divine, and should be free to live a life of dignity, consistent with their sexuality and gender identity within their faith communities without fear or judgement.

Prevention – We believe that we have a duty of care towards all LGBT+ people and so we commit ourselves to listen to the experiences of our LGBT+ members in order to indentify and eradicate any harmful practice that inhibits the flourishing of us all.

Proportionality – We recognise that for too long the needs of our LGBT+ members have often been ignored and side-lined, and so we commit to ensuring that LGBT+ people are always given fair voice.

Protection – We recognise that many LGBT+ people face significant discrimination, rejection, and hatred, and so we commit to work to protect all LGBT+ people from harm, wherever it occurs in both religious and secular contexts.

Partnership – We recognise that for far too long those of us who are LGBT+ have been excluded from decision that impact our lives and so we commit to always work in partnership so that together we can prevent, detect and report spiritual abuse.

Accountability – We believe that no one is above the law and that there must always be transparency in all areas of safeguarding and so commit to work with our LGBT+ members to regularly monitor progress.

New Zealand officially bans conversion therapy

New Zealand's parliament has passed legislation that bans practices intended to forcibly change a person's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, known as conversion therapy.

The bill, which was introduced by the government last year, passed near-unanimously with 112 votes in favour and 8 votes opposed.

The legislation also lays out what is not a conversion practice and it protects the right to express opinions, beliefs, religious beliefs or principles which are not intended to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Under the legislation, it will be an offence to perform conversion practices on people under 18, or on someone with impaired decision-making capacity. Such offences would be subject to up to 3 years' in prison.

It will also be an offence to perform conversion practices on anyone, irrespective of age, where the practices have caused serious harm, and offenders can be subject to up to 5 years imprisonment.

Last year, an United Nations rapporteur urged to ban 'chilling' conversion therapy, and a lot of countries, regions and cities already banned conversion therapy, but it should be banned around the world.

Banning conversion therapy was one of Jacinda Ardern's election promises

Anti-LGBTQ bill is ‘severe and must be reviewed’ say Ghana’s bishops

Ghana’s Anglican Church leaders have condemned the country’s proposed anti-LGBTQ bill and urged lawmakers to reconsider the new legislation that would toughen an already existing anti-LGBTQ law.

Same-sex relations are already illegal in Ghana, with those found guilty currently facing up to 3 years in prison.

The draft Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill proposes a 5 years maximum prison sentence for those who are LGBTQ. Besides, those advocating for LGBTQ rights could be sentenced to up to 10 years. Sentences given under the new law could be reduced, according to the foundation, if the person charged would request “treatment,” that is, so-called conversion therapy.

The House of Bishops in Ghana issued a statement saying the draft bill is “severe and must be reviewed.”

The statement read, “We agreed that, though human dignity is always dominant, LGBTQ activities are frowned upon by the Ghanaian ethnicity and therefore, traditions, values, cultural and social frameworks must not also only be regarded but, respected and appreciated."

“Nevertheless, Ghanaian citizens must not use the bill as an avenue to assault persons with homosexual orientation but show love to them as the Church of Jesus Christ is called to demonstrate the love of God by protecting all vulnerable people and groups. Acts of harassment, intimidation and hostilities against LGBTQ people should be condemned,” the statement continued.

The true is that people can choose their church but they can’t change their sexual orientation, the same in Ghana, and queer Ghanaian lives matter as everywhere.

The U.K. House of Commons Library published a report 

about LGBTQ rights and issues in sub-Saharan Africa

France bans conversion therapy: There is nothing to cure!

A new law in France bans "conversion therapy," a practice that attempts to change a LGBTQ person's sexual orientation or gender identity and has been scientifically discredited.

The French National Assembly approved the new law unanimously, voting 142-0 on Tuesday evening.

The legislation includes criminal penalties for people who are convicted of trying to “convert” LGBTQ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations.

Attempting to "convert" a person to heterosexuality or traditional gender identity will result in up to two years in jail and a fine of $34,000.

If the therapy is attempted on a young person or someone who is deemed vulnerable, the punishment can increase to up to three years in jail and a fine of $50,000.

The law also opens the possibility for campaigners to file civil suits on behalf of victims, an advance hailed in parliament as a breakthrough for people who hesitate or are unable to alert police themselves.

Good news from France! There is nothing to cure!

Several progress on LGBTQ issues around the world in 2021 but still remains much to be done

Across the world, gay people have gained many protections with changes in laws and norms surrounding the issue of same-sex marriage, discrimination and equal rights. Global acceptance of the LGBTQ community is on the rise, according to the Pew Research Center.

But that doesn't mean that stigma, discrimination and homophobic attacks have ended. Places such as Poland and Hungary have seen a reversal of hard-won progress, with conservative governments stoking anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the name of family values. In Afghanistan also returned to "dark days" with Taliban. And places like Qatar or Chechnya still are dangerous places for gay people.

But despite setbacks and abuses, several parts of the world have rekindled hope by taking steps this year to advance the rights of the LGBTQ community.

For example, in Asia, the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan became the latest Asian nation to decriminalize homosexuality this year. Furthermore, Bangladesh elected its first transgender mayor in 2021, Nazrul Islam Ritu,  who beat her rival in a landslide election to become mayor of the small rural town of Trilochanpur in western Bangladesh, where she was born. And another Himalayan country, Nepal, introduced a third gender category in its census this year for the first time, alongside male and female.

In North America, the United States this year saw a restoration of rights related to sexual orientation and gender identity that were rolled back by the previous Trump administration. U.S. President Joe Biden ended a ban on service by transgender people in the military, reversed a policy which previously allowed health care companies to deny coverage to gay and transgender people and signed an executive order against LGBTQ discrimination in education.

Besides, former 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg became the first openly gay Cabinet member confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and he caused a flutter by going away on parental leave for several weeks after he and his husband adopted twins.

Canada also joined a growing push around the world to ban conversion therapy by passing a bill formally outlawing it.

In South America, Chile passed a historic bill granting equal marriage rights to same-sex couples. The country legalized same-sex civil unions in 2015, and had been eagerly awaiting the legalization of gay marriage since then-president Michelle Bachelet sent a bill to Congress in 2017. Chile joins just a handful of nations in majority Catholic South America with similar laws, they include Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador.

On the other hand, in Europe, Switzerland became one of the last remaining nations in Western Europe to approve same-sex marriage; and France passed a law that expanded access to its free fertility treatments, such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization to women in same-sex relationships and single women.

Finally, in Africa, Botswana's court of appeal upheld a 2019 ruling that decriminalized same-sex relationships, in what was hailed as a major victory for gay rights campaigners on the continent. In addition, a new criminal code went into effect in Angola. The new penal code scraps a 133-year passage banning same-sex relations, put in place when the southwest African nation was still a Portuguese colony.

Several progress on LGBTQ issues in 2021, but we still have to fight and work around the world to make it a better place for everyone.

The global acceptance of homosexuality

Top EU court rules all member countries must legally recognise same-sex parents

All member countries of the European Union (EU) must legally recognise when two people of the same sex are parents to a child, the Union's top court has ruled.

The move comes after Bulgarian authorities failed to issue a birth certiciate to a child, Sara, born in Spain who has one mother from Bulgaria and one from Gibraltar. 

The child’s Spanish birth certificate refers to both mothers as being the parents. However, the model birth certificate applicable in Bulgaria has only one box for ‘mother’ and another for ‘father’, and only one name may appear in each box.

As neither of her parents are from Spain, Sara could not be considered for Spanish citizenship. Sara was also denied UK citizenship as one of her mother's was born in Gibraltar, not the UK.

Local government in Sofia refused to issue the requested birth certificate because of the 'lack of information concerning the identity of the child’s biological mother' and the fact that a reference to two female parents on a birth certificate was contrary to Bulgarian public policy, which does not permit marriage between two persons of the same sex.

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled: "Child, being a minor and a Union citizen, whose birth certificate was drawn up by the host Member State and designates as parents two persons of the same sex: the Member State of which the child is a national is obliged to issue an identity card or a passport to that child without requiring a birth certificate to be drawn up beforehand by its national authorities".

"It is also obliged to recognise the document from the host Member State that permits that child to exercise, with each of those two persons, the child’s right to move and reside freely within the territory of the European Union."

Bulgaria is pretty conservative in regards to LGBT rights in comparison to other countries in the European Union. Same-sex activity is legal and anti-discrimination laws in employment are in effect, but the country doesn’t recognise LGBT couples and there’s no hate crime laws in regards to sexual orientation and gender identity. Same-sex couples are also unable to adopt and conversion therapy on minors is yet to be banned.

LGBTQ rights protection in the new coalition deal in Germany

Olaf Scholz will head a three-party coalition with broad plans for Germany's transition to a green economy, under a deal to end 16 years of government led by Christian Democrat Angela Merkel.

Almost two months after his Social Democrat party won federal elections, he will go into power with the Greens and business-friendly Free Democrats.

LGBTQ rights protection forms part of the coalition deal, with the following takeaways:

• A new self-ID law for trans people.
• Reinforced ban on intersex surgeries.
• Total ban on conversion therapy.
• No restrictions on blood donations by gay and bi men, and trans people.
• Funding of gender reassignment surgeries through public-private insurance.
• Compensation for trans people who have suffered harm due to former gender change requirements.

German parliament legalised same-sex marriage in 2017 despite the oposition of Merkel, and it banned gay conversion therapy for minors in 2020. Recently, two trans women from Green Party also won seats in Germany’s parliament in the last elections. 

With the new government coalition, labelled as "traffic-light" coalition because of the parties' red, yellow and green colours, begins a new era after the conservative Merkel.

President Obama slams Republicans who keep on attacking marriage equality

President Barack Obama stood up for marriage equality during a speech in Richmond, Virginia, in support of the state’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.

In response to anti-LGBT comments from Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin, Obama asked, “Are we still arguing about gay marriage? Really? I thought that ship had sailed. I thought that was pretty clearly the right thing to do.”

A few days earlier, Youngkin told that, while he would respect that marriage equality was “legally acceptable” in Virginia, he did not support it. McAuliffe responded to the article with a tweet defending marriage equality, declaring, “I worked my heart out to keep Virginia open and welcoming to all. This type of bigotry and intolerance has NO place in our Commonwealth.”

In 2019, Democrats took control of the Virginia state legislature for the first time in 26 years. Since then they have worked quickly to pass a slew of progressive legislation, including several LGBT rights bills.

Among other legislation, the state banned conversion therapy for minors, became the first Southern state to add LGBT anti-discrimination protections, and increased protections for transgender students.

McAuliffe was the first Southern governor to officiate a same-sex wedding