Conversion therapy is a harmful and discredited practice that falsely treats LGBTQ+ identities as illnesses to be “cured.”, but this is simply a violation of fundamental human rights.

LGBTQ+ people are not sick, and they do not need to be fixed.

Despite progress in several EU member states, conversion practices remain legal in some countries, and even promoted, like in Poland or Hungary, putting thousands of people at risk of psychological trauma, social rejection, and physical abuse. 

EU surveys (Source: EPRS – Bans on conversion ‘therapies’) show that 2% of LGBTQ+ individuals have already been subjected to conversion attempts, and 5% have been offered them. The numbers are even higher among transgender people and youth.

In her 2024 State of the Union speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to pursue a ban on conversion practices. Yet, to date, no legislative proposal has followed. The time for symbolic gestures is over. LGBTQ+ people across Europe deserve concrete protection, now.

The Left is calling out the European Union who has a duty to protect all its citizens from degrading treatment. We urgently need binding EU legislation to ban conversion practices in every member state, and support survivors.

The Left encourages all Europeans to sign the European Citizens’ Initiative titled “Ban on conversion practices in the European Union”. If it collects one million signatures across at least seven EU countries by 17 May 2025, the European Commission must respond and consider legal action.

Left co-president Manon Aubry (La France Insoumise, France): “The European Union can no longer turn a blind eye: “conversion therapies” must be banned everywhere, immediately. Being queer is not an illness. These practices claim to “cure” LGBTQI+ people’s sexual orientation or gender identity, but in reality, they are psychological and physical violence, deeply dehumanizing acts. I have signed the European Citizens’ Initiative to say stop this cruelty. Raise your voice too. Together, let’s change the law.”

Left MEP Carolina Morace (Movimento 5 Stelle, Italy): “LGBTQ+ people are not sick, and they do not need to be ‘fixed.’ This European citizens initiative is not only welcome, it is urgent and absolutely necessary. The fact that, in 2025, there is still no clear legislation banning conversion therapies is nothing short of disgraceful. These practices are a direct attack on human dignity and a blatant violation of fundamental rights. It is long past time to put an end to them.”

Sign the European citizens initiative here: https://eci.ec.europa.eu/043/public/#/screen/home