Religious Leaders Call For Global Ban on LGBTQ+ Conversion Therapy
By: Catherine Caruso
Tags: LGBTQ, Equality, Society, Politics, Religion

Hundreds of religious leaders around the world are taking a stand against LGBTQ+ conversion therapy.

More than 370 international faith leaders from 35 countries signed a declaration on Wednesday calling for a global ban on the harmful practice. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop Emeritus of South Africa, was among the signatories of the declaration.

Led by the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives, the declaration marked the launch of the commission, which aims to “provide a strong and authoritative voice from religious leaders across the global faith community who wish to affirm and celebrate the dignity of all.”

The declaration acknowledges and affirms all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions and calls for an end to violence against LGBTQ+ people, expressing regret for any and all religious teachings that have helped to contribute to the marginalization, rejection, and alienation of queer and trans people around the world. The declaration also calls on all nations to help bring an end to the criminalization of LGBTQ+ people.

“We recognize that certain religious teachings have, throughout the ages, been misused to cause deep pain and offense to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex,” the commission said in a statement. “This must change.”

Conversion therapy is a harmful and ineffective practice that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Not only has conversion therapy been widely debunked and discredited, but it can also cause severe physical and psychological harm and places many LGBTQ+ people at an increased risk of depression and suicide.

Some “treatments” of conversion therapy include hypnosis, prayer, electric shock treatments, and physically painful stimuli. While the practice has been condemned by a number of major medical associations in the US and abroad, it is still legal in many countries and states.

Only five countries — Germany, Malta, Ecuador, Brazil, and Taiwan — have banned conversion therapy, thus far. In the US, 20 states and a number of cities have outlawed the practice for minors.

“It is incredible to see hundreds of religious leaders from all different backgrounds and denominations join together and come out against the discredited practice of conversion therapy. We hope this bold effort will send a message to LGBTQ youth in diverse communities of faith that they are deserving of love and respect and should be proud of exactly who they are,” Sam Brinton, the Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, said in a statement.

“We must all come together to protect LGBTQ youth in every city, state, and country around the globe from these dangerous conversion efforts and all forms of anti-LGBTQ violence.”

While bans on conversion therapy have gained momentum in recent years, most state and citywide bans in the US only target licensed therapists who engage in the harmful practice. Religious leaders remain exempt. So although these laws are necessary, they still fail to protect LGBTQ+ youth from religious leaders and faith-based institutions that seek to change them and subject them to what can only be classified as torture.

Out of 40,000 respondents, 14% of LGBTQ+ youth reported that a religious leader tried to persuade them to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, according The Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health.

“There are many LGBT+ people who suffer emotional hurt and physical violence to the point of death in countries across the world,” Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu van Furth, daughter of Desmond Tutu, said in the commission’s press release. “For this reason, we are joining forces as faith leaders to say that we are all beloved children of God.”