Health Ministry formally bans LGBTQ+ conversion therapy
While the Health Ministry has recommended against conversion therapy for years, this is the first formal ban.
By TZVI JOFFRE, Published: FEBRUARY 14, 2022
The Health Ministry issued a circular on Monday morning banning medical professionals in Israel from providing conversion therapy.
The circular stresses the risks to mental health posed by conversion therapy and prohibits all professionals from the offering, publicizing, or providing such "therapies." Licensed professionals who do so will face sanctions, including severe disciplinary proceedings and the revocation of their licenses.
"This is a victory in the general struggle for tolerance and equality, but in my eyes, it is more basic and more critical because this is also a struggle for life itself, this is truly saving lives," said Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz.
"'Conversion therapy' is a cruel abuse of distressed youth," stressed the health minister. "This practice is a murder of the psyche, and sometimes of the body as well. It is our duty to act against those who engage in it and endanger human lives. That's what we're doing today."
Health Ministry is saying in an official, clear and absolute way - LGBTQ+ people, straight people, transgender people, gays, lesbians, every person - we are all people, we are all good and beautiful exactly as we are and no one should dare to tell you otherwise."
"The circular we're publishing today is sharp, short and to the point and focuses on what is not right and what is forbidden to do as therapists," said Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash.
"Thanks to this circular, we can exact justice from those who hurt us," said Shay Bramson, chairman of the religious Jewish LGBTQ+ Havruta organization.
The circular defines conversion therapy as any therapy or consultation given in any way which has the goal of changing the gender identity or sexual identity of a person. "The sexual orientation or gender identity of a person should not be seen as a medical or psychological issue requiring treatment," read the circular.
The Israel Psychological Association's official stance opposes the practice of conversion therapy, as it was “not found to be helpful, and could cause real damage,” including “anxiety, depression, suicide, isolation and social withdrawal, difficulty making intimate and sexual connections, avoiding social connections, harm to religious belief, anger and distancing toward parents.”
Prijevod
Ministarstvo zdravstva službeno zabranjuje LGBTQ + konverzijsku terapiju
Iako je Ministarstvo zdravstva godinama preporučalo protiv konverzacijske terapije, ovo je prva službena zabrana.
Ministarstvo zdravstva izdalo je u ponedjeljak ujutro okružnicu kojom se medicinskim djelatnicima u Izraelu zabranjuje pružanje "terapije" konverzije.
Okružnica naglašava rizike za mentalno zdravlje koje predstavlja terapija konverzije i zabranjuje svim profesionalcima da nude, objavljuju ili pružaju takve "terapije".
"Ovo je pobjeda u općoj borbi za toleranciju i jednakost, ali u mojim očima je to osnovnija i kritičnija jer je ovo i borba za sam život, ovo je uistinu spašavanje života", rekao je ministar zdravstva Nitzan Horowitz.
"Konverzijska terapija je okrutno zlostavljanje unesrećene mladeži", naglasio je ministar zdravstva. “Ova praksa je ubojstvo psihe, a ponekad i tijela... terapija konverzije je u suprotnosti s osnovnim vrijednostima izraelskog zdravstvenog sustava.
“Izraelsko ministarstvo zdravstva na službeni, jasan i apsolutan način poručuje – LGBTQ + osobe, heteroseksualci, transrodne osobe, gejevi, lezbijke, svaka osoba – svi smo mi ljudi, svi smo dobri i lijepi upravo takvi kakvi jesmo i nitko vam se ne bi smio usuditi reći drugačije."
"Zahvaljujući ovoj okružnici, možemo tražiti pravdu od onih koji su nas povrijedili", rekao je Shay Bramson, predsjednik vjerske židovske LGBTQ + Havruta organizacije...
Okružnica definira konverzojsku terapiju kao svaku terapiju ili konzultaciju koja se daje na bilo koji način i koja ima za cilj promjenu rodnog ili seksualnogidentiteta osobe. "Seksualna orijentacija ili rodni identitet osobe ne bi se trebali smatrati medicinskim ili psihološkim problemom koji zahtijeva liječenje", stoji u okružnici.
Službeni stav Izraelskog psihološkog udruženja protivi se praksi konverzacijske terapije, budući da se ona "nije pokazala korisnom i mogla bi uzrokovati stvarnu štetu", uključujući "tjeskobu, depresiju, samoubojstvo, izolaciju i socijalno povlačenje, poteškoće u uspostavljanju intimnih i seksualnih veza, izbjegavanje društvenih veza, narušavanje vjerskih uvjerenja, ljutnju i distanciranje prema roditeljima."