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A recent report by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) exposes the severe harm and violations of the right to sexual identity to which members of the population are subjected in so-called “conversion therapies”.

The study highlights that even children and adolescents around the world have been subjected to various techniques to "cure" homosexuality, as it is considered a pathology.

“In the report, what we tried to do was start from scratch, not take anything for granted, and we began with a first chapter in which we analyze the terms we generally use to describe these types of practices. We then analyzed why it is problematic to talk about therapies and conversion therapies and other terms used in both English- and Spanish-speaking contexts. That's essentially the first approach: to explain the terminological choices we made and, obviously, to leave the door open for this to change in the future,” Lucas Ramón Mendos, a researcher at ILGA World and author of the report, told Presentes.

The first attempts date back to the late 19th century and the methods have been multiple, from cycling, lobotomy, castration, hormone ingestion, aversion therapies, electroshock, hypnotism and even exorcisms.

“Historically, medical norms have evolved in such a way that certain forms of experimentation and medical practices that were regularly carried out in the name of mental health care, especially in Europe and North America, would today be considered torture or atrocious practices,” the research indicates.

American Adam Trimmer recalls crying every night and praying that “God would change him” after undergoing a “conversion” program.

“I was scared, broken, terrified. I cried myself to sleep so many nights praying, ‘God, please change me!’ I was a missionary, I tried everything to be the best Christian. And I would wake up and I was still gay,” Trimmer recounts.

Which countries reject the practices

In February 2020, Brazil, Ecuador, and Malta issued laws restricting these methodologies.

Meanwhile, some states and regions in Canada, Spain, and the United States have done the same, hoping to pave the way for others to move in the same direction.

In Argentina, Uruguay, Fiji, Nauru, and Samoa, mental health laws prohibit diagnosing patients solely on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Similarly, 10 countries have introduced bills in their national legislatures to restrict these practices. In several other countries, including Australia, Canada, the United States, and Mexico, some subnational jurisdictions are still considering such bills.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and some twenty associations worldwide have "repudiated" efforts to change a person's gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.