Grøvan (KrF): «Conversion therapy» of homosexuals must remain legal
Labour suggests banning so-called «conversion therapy» for homosexuals. “A prohibition is to go too far in a liberal democracy,” Hans Fredrik Grøvan (Christian Democrats) believes.
“I have to make reservations that I have not yet read the proposal,” Parliamentary leader of the Christian Democrats (Kristelig Folkeparti), Hans Frederik Grøvan, tells the Christian newspaper Dagen
Hans Fredrik Grøvan (Krf), believes that a ban on conversion therapy is an infringement of religious rights.
“Nevertheless, I would like to point out, in principle, that we live in a liberal democracy. Then it is important to take the individual’s wishes into consideration as to what way you want to work with yourself. That society should place restrictions on a personal choice, is to go too far in a democracy such as Norway’s,” he maintains.
The pseudo-scientific Conversion therapy aims to change a person from being a homosexual into a heterosexual, traditionally based on the conviction that homosexuality is a treatable illness of sorts.
Anette Trettebergstuen (Labour Party) presented the prohibition proposal to the Norwegian Parliament on Thursday.
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LGBTQ rights
Trettebergstuen believes that such a ban is important in Norway, although conversion therapy is not particularly widespread here.
“The fact that it is not a widespread problem, does not mean that we should not address it. We will be both a spearhead and a beacon for LGBTQ rights. Banning conversion therapy is easy,” Trettebergstuen tells VG.
“If there is talk of conversion therapy under the auspices of a belief or religious community, then it is about the state intervening in the internal matters of said community,” Grøvan counters to the newspaper Dagen.
Grøvan believes that this will be perceived as a transgression.
“The Norwegian State should not intervene in a religious community’s manner of practising faith,” Grøvan claims.
He concludes that the case is to be viewed differently if conversion therapy is experienced as being stigmatisation of, coercion or pressure against homosexuals.
About Conversion therapy
Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual using psychological or spiritual interventions. There is virtually no reliable evidence that sexual orientation can be changed and medical bodies warn that conversion therapy practices are ineffective and potentially harmful. Nevertheless, advocates and proponents do provide anecdotal reports of people who claim some degree of success in becoming heterosexual. Medical, scientific, and government organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom have expressed concern over the validity, efficacy and ethics of conversion therapy. Various jurisdictions in Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas have passed laws against conversion therapy.
The highest-profile advocates of conversion therapy today tend to be fundamentalist Christian groups and other organizations which use religious justification for the therapy rather than speaking of homosexuality as “a disease”.
(Source: Wikipedia.)
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
