The Council of Europe has successfully voted to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’ despite anti-trans lobbying calling for a ban to be reconsidered.

The human rights body, which is separate from the European Union, voted to pass a resolution brought by labour MP Kate Osborne calling for the abusive practices to be prohibited across its 26 member states.

So-called ‘conversion practices‘ are acts of physical or psychological abuse that attempt to change an LGBTQ+ person’s sexuality or gender identity, which is not possible. They are typically performed by conservative religious groups and includes forms of torture such as shock therapy.

Seventy-one members voted in favour of banning continued use of the widely-condemned tactic during a Thursday (28 January) vote. Twenty-six members voted against it, and two abstained.

Osborne, 59, tabled the resolution on 6 January as part of a campaign urging member states to “prevent and counter the harm caused” by conversion practices.

“Conversion practices have no scientific basis and have harmful consequences on the individuals to them,” Osborne wrote.

“They induce or strengthen feelings of shame, guilt, self-disgust, and worthlessness, and lead to increased rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts.”

According to the Trevor Project, survivors of conversion practices are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide and nearly three times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in a year.

Sex Matters condemned for lobbying against conversion therapy ban

Members succeeded in passing the ban despite lobbying from the ‘gender-critical’ group Sex Matters, which called on the Council Europe to reject what it described as a “shocking resolution”.

It claimed in a statement that prohibiting conversion practices would make it “even harder” to subject trans youngsters to psychological screenings, which it insisted could reveal whether they are “confused about their sex”.

The statement called on supporters to email their MPs over their concerns that the resolution would sanction those who “do not affirm a child’s declared trans identity”.

Despite Sex Matters’ claims that trans children can grow out of their gender dysphoria, research from the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) reports that they are as consistent in their identity as cisgender youngsters.

In the lead-up to the vote, legal campaign organisation, Good Law Project, urged immediate action against Sex Matters for attempting to repeal the resolution.

According to the organisation, more than 10,000 people emailed their UK parliamentary representatives at the Council of Europe urging for them to “stand up for what’s right”.

Good Law Project’s trans rights lead, Jess O’Thomson, said following the resolution’s passage that the vote was a major win for the community and all marginalised people.

“As a member of the queer community, I sadly have many friends who have been subjected to conversion practices. I was unfortunate enough to experience them myself,” they said. “No person deserves to be tortured for who they are.”

O’Thomson turned next to the UK government, which has yet to follow-through on its promise to ban conversion therapy after former prime minister Theresa May made the pledge in 2018.

“It’s now time for the UK government to follow the Council of Europe and ensure a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices,” they said.

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