TL:DR – ILGA Europe reports 25% of EU LGBTQ+ citizens subjected to conversion practices
• The ILGA Europe report reveals that nearly 25% of EU LGBTQ+ citizens have faced conversion practices.
• Greek respondents report the highest exposure at 38%, while French, Italian, and Dutch respondents cite 18%.
• Trans, non-binary, and intersex individuals experience higher exposure to conversion practices than cisgender respondents.
• The OECD reports that the EU loses up to €89 million annually due to discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• In January 2023, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved a resolution urging a ban on conversion practices.
Conversion therapy: Quarter of EU citizens exposed as Council of Europe urges ban
Almost a quarter of all LGBTQ+ citizens in the European Union have encountered some form of conversion practices, according to the latest report from ILGA Europe. The report highlights Greek respondents as having the highest exposure at 38%, while respondents from France, Italy, and the Netherlands reported the lowest exposure at 18%. Conversion practices, often referred to as conversion therapy, are deemed harmful and ineffective, falsely claiming to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
This information is significant as it underscores the pervasive nature of such harmful practices within the EU. The report is part of the new “Intersections reports” series and draws on data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), included in its 2023 LGBTIQ III Survey.
Responses to Experiences of Conversion Practices
Nearly all participants who experienced conversion practices involving physical, sexual, or verbal abuse reported avoiding certain places due to fears of assault or harassment related to their LGBTQ+ identity. Financial and age-related pressures were also noted as factors influencing consent to conversion therapy. More than a quarter of trans men who faced financial hardship had consented to conversion practices under pressure or threats, while 22% of trans women aged 40 to 54 also reported giving consent.
European Efforts to Combat Conversion Practices
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimated that the EU loses up to €89 million in GDP annually due to discrimination based on sexual orientation, linked to reduced workplace productivity and employment barriers. In response, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recently approved a resolution advocating a ban on conversion practices, proposing that such practices be defined in national law and penalised accordingly. Helena Dalli, former European Commissioner for Equality, stated, “These practices are grounded in a lie, the lie that diversity is a defect,” highlighting the systemic stigma that allows these practices to continue.
While the resolution is not legally binding, it serves as political pressure on the Council of Europe’s 46 member states. The European Commission is actively pursuing a strategy to combat discrimination and protect LGBTQ+ rights, with half of EU countries currently having a national strategy for LGBTQ+ equality and at least eight member states having banned conversion practices.
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