France Bans Gay Conversion Therapy. Pope Calls for Parents to Accept LGBTQ Children

France Bans Gay Conversion Therapy: France has now passed legislation criminalizing the use of "conversion therapy" which is used to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ people. Anyone convicted under the new law could face fines of up to €30,000 and/or two years in prison. President Emmanuel Macron praised the move, tweeting that "being oneself is not a crime".

Gay conversion therapy is still legal in some US states and more than 60 nations, despite a mountain of research that demonstrates that it's harmful, more akin to torture than therapy.

Human Rights Campaign: "Some right-wing religious groups promote the concept that an individual can change their sexual orientation or gender identity, either through prayer or other religious efforts, or through so-called "reparative" or "conversion" therapy. The research on such efforts has disproven their efficacy, and also has indicated that they are affirmatively harmful. Beyond studies focused solely on reparative therapy, broader research clearly demonstrates the significant harm that societal prejudice and family rejection has on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people, particularly youth. Furthermore, there is significant anecdotal evidence of harm to LGBTQ people resulting from attempts to change their sexual orientation and gender identity. Based on this body of evidence, every major medical and mental health organization in the United States has issued a statement condemning the use of conversion therapy."

France joins a number of other nations that have recently banned the practice, including Canada, Brazil, Ecuador, Malta, Albania, and Germany.

Pope Francis Call for Acceptance: Last week, Pope Francis told parents not to condemn their LGBTQ children and to offer them support.

"Never condemn your children," said Francis. Don't "hide behind an attitude of condemnation."

Francis has been slowly moving the Church toward a more accepting stance on homosexuality, without actually changing long-standing doctrine. It's a tightrope.

He has said that while the Church can't bless same-sex marriages, it can support civil unions in order to give gay partners joint rights in areas of pensions, health care and inheritance. In recent months, he also penned a series of letters praising a nun for her LGBTQ outreach ministry.

#religion #news #France

By: Don Lam & Curated Content