Conversion therapies aimed at altering, suppressing or eliminating sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression are under the microscope of the Legal Affairs Committee, which met on Wednesday.
The committee meeting was told that an investigation into conversion therapies was conducted,[/B] in which there were several reports in Cyprus involving priests undergoing[/B] methods such as exorcism, prayer and penance processes.[/B] There was also mention of practices such as hormone therapies and marriages between gay men and women who do not know the sexual identity of their spouses. The representatives of the stakeholders agreed with the proposal to amend the penal code to criminalise conversion treatments.
Fotini Tsiridou, DISY MP and chairwoman of the Legal Affairs Committee, said that it is now accepted by the medical world that there cannot be conversion treatments, because a person is born with his or her own identity. At the same time, he pointed out that there are health professionals or representatives of the Church who may "not handle these issues correctly". Furthermore, she clarified that any therapies done by professionals to help someone who wishes to look at their own issues and thoughts would be exempt from the bill.
In response to a question about the penalties that may be imposed, Ms. Tsiridou said that "in the proposed legislation there is provision for penalties, but the court, depending on the severity, will have the discretion to impose the penalty it considers appropriate in each case."
George Koukumas, AKEL MP,[/B] described as "important" the opening of the debate on pseudo-scientific conversion therapies, which he described as illegal and inhumane, while calling for an end to charlatanism.
Koukumas raised three points for discussion, which are the criminalisation of parents taking their children to countries where such treatments are allowed, the criminalisation of the application of these practices by health professionals and the need to distinguish conversion therapies from scientifically accepted practices, such as counselling.
Sotiris Ioannou, ELAM MP, stated that his party's position is that sexual orientation is not gender. "There are two genders, they are biological and are determined at birth. They are neither changed nor converted," he noted.
[/P]In addition, he said that people will be victimized and human relationships within the family will be criminalized, adding that the next step is to define codes of conduct and road maps on how parents should behave.
Costas Gavriilides, Advisor to the President of the Republic on LGBTI rights issues, stressed that definitions of sexual orientation and gender identity should be included in legislation. Furthermore, he suggested that there should be imprisonment and a fine for those who carry out such treatments, adding that there is a tendency in the EU to criminalise conversion therapies.
The representative of the Holy Archdiocese said that the Church has its own clear position and does not want to impose its will on people. At the same time, he described as inalienable the right to everyone's opinion, which is not negated by the amendment of the law.
Stefanos Evaggelidis, Secretary of LGBTI-Accept Cyprus
, said that the specific law proposal received relatively universal acceptance, adding that this is a delicate issue that borders on abuse. "Unfortunately, the issue is hidden in our society and that is why criminalisation is very important," he noted, thanking the Parliament and all stakeholders for the effort being made.
Source: CNA
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