Switzerland's federal government has formally backed a nationwide ban on so-called conversion therapy, moving toward one national standard after years of uneven, canton-by-canton protections.

One Standard After a Patchwork

Neuchâtel's 2023 law made it the first Swiss canton to outlaw conversion therapy, with Valais and Vaud following suit. Bern and Geneva have debated similar bills, but until now no federal law covered the country.

Why the Ban Took So Long

Switzerland's constitution guarantees religious freedom, and with Catholics and Evangelical Reformed Christians together making up well over half the population, federal lawmakers moved cautiously. The government long argued existing rules protecting minors without consent were sufficient, and a 2021 pledge to legislate more broadly stalled.

A Loophole Activists Feared

After Germany's 2020 ban, the ex-gay group Bruderschaft des Weges reportedly relocated across the border into Switzerland. Activists say some Swiss practitioners now avoid the term entirely, rebranding sessions as "self-finding trips" while the underlying goal, changing someone's sexual orientation, stays the same.

Switzerland risks becoming a haven for a practice the rest of Europe is moving to outlaw.

Europe's Wider Push

The European Commission this year urged all EU states to ban conversion therapy outright. Belgium, Cyprus, France, Malta, Norway, Portugal and Spain already have, Greece banned it for minors in 2022, and the Dutch Senate approved its own ban in June. Switzerland sits outside the EU, but the pressure is clearly regional.

MQ's Take

A government report isn't a law, and Switzerland has stalled on this before. Still, naming the loophole that turned it into a landing spot for practitioners fleeing Germany's ban is real progress. Lawmakers now need to turn backing into binding legislation, and fast.

Sources: PinkNews, Washington Blade

Cover photo: Louis / Pexels

legislation

Switzerland's Government Backs Nationwide Conversion Therapy Ban