The European Commission will work with the member states to put an end to conversion practices aimed at the LGBTQI+ community. This was reported by European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib.
“Conversion practices are not therapies. They are harmful, can cause physical and mental problems, and especially undermine the dignity of the individuals involved,” said Lahbib during the presentation of the European LGBTQI+ strategy for 2026-2030.
One in four LGBTQI+ individuals, and nearly half of transgender men and women, have already experienced such practices, whether it involves physical or sexual violence, verbal abuse, or humiliation. “That must stop,” said the Belgian Commissioner.
“Conversion therapy” refers to a range of practices aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Certain EU member states still require surgical or medical interventions for legal recognition of gender.
These practices can be equated with torture and should be banned, according to experts from the United Nations. The Netherlands will soon become the ninth country to ban these practices, while Belgium has already done so. In recent months, a citizen initiative calling for a European ban has gathered more than 1.2 million signatures.
“We will work with the member states, with full respect for their competencies, to put an end to these harmful practices,” Lahbib added. “But we do not yet have a clear understanding of what these practices entail. We need to gather data and information to find the best way to tackle this issue.”
