Conversion Therapy Every Day Around the World, LGBTIQ People’S Human Rights and Dignity Are Abused in Ways That Shock the Conscience
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HARMFUL TREATMENT The Global Reach of So-Called Conversion Therapy Every day around the world, LGBTIQ people’s human rights and dignity are abused in ways that shock the conscience. The stories of their struggles and their resilience are astounding, yet remain unknown—or willfully ignored—by those with the power to make change. OutRight Action International, founded in 1990 as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, works alongside LGBTIQ people in the Global South, with offices in six countries, to help identify community-focused solutions to promote policy for lasting change. We vigilantly monitor and document human rights abuses to spur action when they occur. We train partners to expose abuses and advocate for themselves. Headquartered in New York City, OutRight is the only global LGBTIQ organization with a permanent presence at the United Nations in New York, serving as a watchdog on 193 world governments and advocating for the human rights and safety of LGBTIQ people. www.OutRightInternational.org [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/outrightintl http://twitter.com/outrightintl http://www.youtube.com/lgbthumanrights OutRight Action International 80 Maiden Lane, Suite 1505, New York, NY 10038 U.S.A. P: +1 (212) 430.6054 Written by Amie Bishop, MSW, MPH This work may be reproduced and redistributed, in whole or in part, without alteration and with- out prior written permission, solely for nonprofit administrative or educational purposes provided all copies contain the following statement: © 2019 OutRight Action International. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of OutRight Action International. No other use is permitted without the express prior written permission of OutRight Action International. For permission, contact hello@ OutRightInternational.org. Photo front cover: ©MamiGibbs PLEASE NOTE: All photos in this report do not represent victims of “conversion therapy”; only those people specified in the interviews section who agreed to be photographed are associated with “conversion therapy.” © Jon © Jon Schulte HARMFUL TREATMENT The Global Reach of So-called Conversion Therapy Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................ 1 Executive Summary ............................................................3 Recommendations ...................................................................... 5 Introduction ...................................................................6 Terminology and Definitions ....................................................7 Brief History of “Conversion Therapy” ............................................8 The Rise of Faith-based LGBTIQ “Conversion Therapy” .................................... 10 Different Name, Same Goal ............................................................. 10 The Science ................................................................... 14 Global Health, Mental Health and Human Rights Expert Consensus on “Conversion Therapy” ......................................................... 16 “Conversion Therapy” and Human Rights Principles ............................ 19 Legal Status of “Conversion Therapy” Around the World ......................... 21 Regional Trends ...............................................................23 Asia .................................................................................... 23 Middle East ........................................................................... 29 Latin America .......................................................................... 30 Sub-Saharan Africa ......................................................................31 Survey Results on the Nature and Extent of “Conversion Therapy” Globally .......35 Survey Methodology ................................................................... 35 Survey Results ........................................................................ 37 Summary .............................................................................. 43 Limitations .............................................................................44 In-Depth Interview Results on the Nature and Extent of “Conversion Therapy” Globally ................................................ 45 In-depth Interview Methodology ........................................................ 45 Interview Results: Key Themes .......................................................... 46 Interview Excerpts by Country and Region............................................... 47 Interviews with Survivors of “Conversion Therapy” ........................................ 48 Limitations ............................................................................. 66 Conclusions and Recommendations .......................................... 67 Recommendations ..................................................................... 68 Appendix I: Number of Survey Respondents by Country ........................ 69 Appendix II: Additional Interviews with Survivors of “Conversion Therapy” Respondents by Country ..................................................... 70 Photo © nanihta Photo Acknowledgements This report was researched and written by Amie Bishop, MSW, MPH, at OutRight Action International. OutRight Action International would like to thank the more than 500 LGBTIQ people around the world who took time to respond to the survey on the nature and extent of “conversion therapy” globally. We are especially grateful to the 19 LGBTIQ people who agreed to be interviewed about their personal experiences of having undergone so-called “conversion therapy” at some point in their lives. You entrusted us with your stories, and we hope we did them justice. OutRight would also like to thank the following people who took time to offer insights on the survey design and review specific sections of the report: Alesdair H. Ittelson, InterACT; Doriane Lau, Yanhui (Yanzi) Peng and Sachi Qin, China; Lía Burbano, Ecuador; Billy R. Leung-Jok, Diana Kan Kwok, and Alan Hau, Hong Kong; Lini Zurlia, Indonesia; Udo Akan Edet and Otibho Obianwu, Nigeria; SungWon Yoon-Lee, South Korea; Jennifer Lu and Chih-Yun Hsu, Taiwan; Jamal Jonathan, Tanzania; Misha Cherniak and Tatiana Lekhatkova, Russia; and Vasyl Malikov, Ukraine. Others to whom we owe much thanks for their time and effort have chosen to remain anonymous. OutRight would like to extend special thanks to Laura Frizzell, who contributed numerous hours to our data analysis efforts. Many people within OutRight also supported the data collection, including translating the English version of the survey into Chinese and distributing it through secure channels in China and elsewhere. Many thanks, in particular, to: Jean Chong, Grace Poore, Hoping Hou, Ging Cristobal, Neish McLean, Daina Ruduša, Em Rubey and Bella FitzPatrick. The report also benefited from important contributions by interns, Preetika Sharma, and Lilli Sher. The report was edited by Paul Jansen, Maria Sjödin and Daina Rudusa, and was designed by Kathy Mills (kamil.graphics). Harmful Treatment 1 2 OutRight Action International Photo © Mami Gibbs © Mami Photo Executive Summary In most countries around the world, “Conversion therapy” is not a discrimination, violence, and oppression based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression single event—it is a process of and sex characteristics persist within families, faith continued degradation and assault communities, and societies at large. on the core of who you are. There A manifestation of this ongoing rejection is are often repeated violations the belief that LGBTIQ people are considered disordered and therefore need “cure,” “repair,” or in the form of psychological and counselling to regain their presumed heterosexual, sometimes physical abuse…It is cisgender identities. The term “conversion therapy” is most widely used to describe this process of not one instance—it is a continued cis-gender, heteronormative indoctrination— sense of rejection. The pressure that is, attempting to change, suppress, or divert one’s sexual orientation, gender identity or is enormous. gender expression. The term, however, suggests - George Barasa, Gay gender that treatment is needed for a disorder and that people can be converted to cisgender heterosex- non-conforming Kenyan living in South uality through such “treatment.” Neither is true. Africa, survivor of “conversion therapy” Although the practice of so-called “conversion therapy” has been well-documented over the last five decades in North America and Australia, no study has been undertaken to characterize the nature and extent of these damaging, degrading practices globally. Drawing on data from an extensive literature review, the first-ever global survey on the topic, and in-depth interviews with experts and survivors from various countries, this report seeks to provide a global snapshot of what is known about “conversion therapy” around the world, including who is most vulnerable, what factors lead LGBTIQ people to choose or to be subjected to these harmful practices, what are the main forms of “conversion therapy,” and who are the main perpetrators. Harmful Treatment 3 Our findings, while primarily descriptive and incite and support stigma, violence, and preliminary, suggest that efforts to repress, discrimination targeting LGBTIQ people; and change, or “cure” diverse sexual orientations fundamentally reinforce messages that being and gender identities are occurring nearly LGBTIQ is pathological or otherwise unaccept- everywhere