Conversion or \u201creparative\u201d practices include any form of intervention\u2014psychotherapeutic, psychological, medical, pharmaceutical, behavioral, or spiritual\u2014that attempts to change a person\u2019s sexual orientation or gender identity. Although they bear the term \u201ctherapy,\u201d international organizations, mental health professional bodies, and independent UN experts characterize them as abusive practices, and they have been linked to serious psychological consequences. <\/p>\n\n
Since 2022, Greece has enacted legislation that formally prohibits conversion therapy. However, according to recent figures from ILGA Europe based on data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, nearly four in ten LGBTQI+ people in Greece report having been subjected to such practices \u2014 a rate recorded as the highest in the European Union. <\/p>\n\n
As scientists and organizations active in the field of LGBTQI+ mental health point out, Greek legislation has significant gaps. The ban applies exclusively to \u201cvulnerable persons,\u201d namely minors and individuals under legal guardianship, while leaving open the possibility of such practices being carried out when there is purported consent from the individual. <\/p>\n\n
The question that arises is a crucial one: to what extent can consent be considered free when it is shaped by social stigma, family pressure, religious influences, or internalized guilt?<\/p>\n\n
The first national survey on conversion therapy practices in Greece, conducted in 2021, found that more than half of the participants reported having been exposed to such practices through mental health professionals.<\/p>\n\n
At the same time, a significant proportion of incidents occur in religious and church settings, perpetrated by priests, confessors, or other religious officials. The study documents testimonies involving psychological violence, practices of punishment and deprivation, sexual harassment, as well as extreme forms of abuse under the guise of so-called \u201cspiritual guidance.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
Of particular concern is the fact that Greek law limits the ban on advertising such practices only to cases where they are provided in exchange for financial compensation, leaving unregulated those practices carried out \u201cpro bono\u201d or within a religious context.<\/p>\n\n
The effects of conversion practices are well documented internationally. Individuals who have been exposed to them exhibit higher rates of depression, anxiety disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. <\/p>\n\n
It is particularly alarming that among young people, the risk of suicide attempts is exceptionally high, reflecting the profound psychological trauma that can result from the rejection of a person\u2019s identity or sexual orientation.<\/p>\n\n
The European Commission\u2019s recent commitment to issue a recommendation to member states calling for a complete ban on conversion therapy is a significant development, following years of pressure from organizations and citizen initiatives.<\/p>\n\n
To date, only eight EU member states have enacted legislative bans, with several organizations pointing out that formal bans are not enough without enforcement mechanisms, accountability, and protections for survivors.<\/p>\n\n
The issue of conversion \u201ctherapies\u201d is not merely a matter of a legislative loophole. It highlights how social prejudices, stereotypes, and systemic discrimination continue to create space for practices that, despite their pseudoscientific or religious guise, continue to produce violence and exclusion. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Despite international condemnation and their legal prohibition in several European countries, so-called \u201cconversion therapies\u201d continue to exist\u2014and in Greece, despite the current legal framework, it appears that they are still being practiced. Conversion or \u201creparative\u201d practices include any form of intervention\u2014psychotherapeutic, psychological, medical, pharmaceutical, behavioral, or spiritual\u2014that attempts to change a person\u2019s sexual orientation or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9522,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,69],"tags":[220,294,386,224],"class_list":["post-9620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-diversity-en","category-pride-lgbtq-en","tag-diversity-en","tag-diversity-charter-greece-en","tag-human-rights","tag-inclusion"],"yoast_head":"\n