Netherlands to ban conversion therapy for both kids & vulnerable adults

Read more at LGBTQ Nation.

The Netherlands will ban conversion therapy after the Senate voted 75 to 57 in favor of legislation to eradicate the harmful practice. The Dutch House of Representatives has already approved the bill, which will reportedly punish anyone who practices conversion therapy on children or vulnerable adults with up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 27,500 euros (about $31,500). Therapists could also lose their licenses.

The country already bans some of the more extreme methods of conversion therapy, like medication and shock therapy, according to the NL Times, but the authors of the bill did not feel existing law was comprehensive enough.

During parliamentary debate about the bill, Senator Peter Nicolaï, a member of the left-wing Partij voor de Dieren, reportedly emphasized the need to also cover the dangers of exorcism, prayer-based therapy, psychological pressure, and pseudo-therapy sessions.

The D66 and VVD parties, who spearheaded the bill, celebrated the victory and declared that “years of commitment to freedom, equality, and human dignity have been rewarded.”

The Dutch LGBTQ+ Rights Group COC Netherlands celebrated the bill’s passage. “We have been fighting for the ban with victims and colleague organizations for almost 15 years and are very happy with this result. We see it as a victory for the victims,” the group said on social media, according to Facebook’s translation tool.

Numerous scientific studies on conversion therapy show that the abusive practices substantially increase the suicidality of its victims.

A 2013 survey, for example, showed that 84% of former patients who tried ex-gay therapy said it inflicted lasting shame and emotional harm, and in 2022, a report found that LGBTQ+ people who participated in sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts were more likely to experience negative impacts than those who did not, including serious psychological distress (47% vs 34%), depression (65% vs 27%), substance abuse (67% vs 50%), and attempted suicide (58% vs 39%).