European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib said LGBTQI+ conversion therapy is barbaric and akin to torture during an interview on Thursday [1].
The statement signals a push for coordinated European Union action against practices that the commissioner said cause profound harm to LGBTQI+ citizens across the bloc [1].
Speaking with Euronews in Brussels, Lahbib said that the EU must combat these shameful practices hurting Europe's LGBTQI+ communities [1]. She said the methods used in conversion therapy are barbaric and akin to torture [1].
This call for action follows a significant push from civil society. A citizens' initiative demanding an EU-wide ban on conversion practices has gathered more than one million signatures [3].
Lahbib said the bloc must take a stand against these practices to protect the fundamental rights of individuals. The commissioner said such therapies are not medical treatments but are instead harmful interventions that violate human dignity [1].
While some EU member states have already implemented bans on conversion therapy, the lack of a unified legal framework across all member states has left some populations vulnerable. The current push aims to standardize protections across the entire European Union to ensure no citizen is subjected to such practices [1].
“Conversion therapy is barbaric and akin to torture.”
The Commissioner's strong rhetoric and the million-signature petition indicate a growing political momentum to move from fragmented national laws to a centralized EU mandate. By framing conversion therapy as a violation of human rights comparable to torture, the EU leadership is positioning the issue as a matter of fundamental dignity rather than a mere healthcare debate.
