The National Assembly passed a draft law late on Tuesday evening, according to which so-called “conversion therapies” are to be punished with two years’ imprisonment. The focus is on practices that are intended to reverse the polarity of people who are not heterosexual to heterosexuality.
This law could “save lives,” said State Secretary for Equal Opportunities, Elisabeth Moreno, during the debate. “There is nothing to cure there,” she emphasized. “You mustn’t try to change people’s sexual identity or orientation,” she added.
In fact, such attempts are already punishable in France. With the draft law of the majority party LREM, however, a new offense is to be included in the criminal law. The prison sentence should increase to three years if minors are affected or the perpetrator is part of his own family.
The extent of such practices in France is difficult to assess. A commission of inquiry mentioned several hundred cases in 2019. The number of references is increasing, it said. The “treatment”, which is usually paid for, can include hypnosis, the use of hormones or electric shocks. Exorcisms and forced marriages are also possible.
The bill now goes to the Senate, the second chamber of the French parliament.