France unanimously bans 'LGBT treatment', following Canada

by Guillaume Paumier

On January 25, 2022, the French National Assembly unanimously passed an amendment to a law that would formally make so-called conversion therapy illegal in an attempt to correct the sexual orientation and gender identity of LGBT people.

France bans gay'conversion therapy' with new law | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/europe-france-gender-identity-70d7691c737df7f0f7bde7844be47835

Conversion therapy, which treats homosexuality and transgender as some kind of abnormality, is considered to be a pseudoscience without scientific basis in recent years, and some areas such as Canada have become illegal by law.

A bill banning 'treatment of LGBT' is passed by Parliament of Canada-GIGAZINE

Following these moves, the French Parliament unanimously adopted a bill banning conversion therapy on January 25, 142-0. The new law prohibits 'sustainable efforts aimed at correcting or reprimanding sexual orientation or gender identity,' which violates and has had physical or psychological consequences for victims. A person will be sentenced to a maximum of two years' imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros (about 3.85 million yen).

'The law is aimed at everyone who equates a particular identity or sexual orientation with illness. There is nothing they can cure,' said Laurence Vanceunebrock, a lawmaker who helped enact the law. .. Elizabeth Moreno, Minister of Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, said, 'Conversion therapy was barbaric, and the pain it caused left an indelible scar on the victim's body and mind.' Welcomed.

In addition, the new law opens the way for not only the victim himself but also a third party such as an activist to file a civil suit on behalf of the victim. The French National Assembly has described this as 'a breakthrough for those who hesitate to call the police or cannot report themselves.'

The new law will come into effect within 14 days of the signature of President Emmanuel Macron. President Macron told Twitter, 'A law banning conversion therapy has been unanimously adopted! Be proud. A worthless method like conversion therapy is not suitable for our republic because of ourselves. It's not a sin or a sickness to be like that. '

La loi interdisant les thérapies de conversion est adoptée à l'unanimité!
Soyons-en fiers, ces pratiques indignes n'ont pas leur place en République. Parce qu'être soi n'est pas un crime, parce qu'il n'y a rien à guérir.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 25, 2022