Israel's health ministry on Monday
announced that health care professionals can no longer practice
so-called conversion therapy.
Such therapies attempt to alter the
sexual orientation or gender identity of a person who identifies as
lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. In addition to “conversion
therapy,” such practices also go by names such as “reparative
therapy,” “sexual orientation change efforts,” or “ex-gay
therapy.”
According to the Jerusalem Post,
professionals who offer, publicize, or provide such therapies could
lose their licenses.
Announcing the ban was Health Minister
Nitzan Horowitz, who is openly gay.
“No one needs conversion,” Horowitz
is quoted as saying. “Not lesbians, not gays, not trans people, not
straights. Sexual orientation and gender is not a problem that needs
to be solved and if someone needs conversion, it's the people full of
hat for others.”
Canada, France, and Brazil are among
the handful of nations with similar bans.
(Related: New
Zealand lawmakers OK “ex-gay” therapy ban bill.)