On Dec. 14, France’s parliament voted to ban so-called conversion therapy, joining a handful of countries that have taken steps to outlaw practices that seek to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, according to Openly News.
Under the French legislation, people offering LGBTQ+ conversion therapy could be jailed for up to two years and fined 30,000 euros ($33,810), with even tougher sentences if minors or vulnerable adults are involved.
The bill, French President Emmanuel Macron must sign before it becomes law, was passed days after a similar ban was signed into law in Canada.
Brazil, Ecuador, Malta, Albania and Germany have also passed legislation that either partially or fully outlaws the practice, which many medical professionals have criticized. “It’s official: Our government’s legislation banning the despicable and degrading practice of conversion therapy has received Royal Assent—meaning it is now law. LGBTQ2 Canadians, we’ll always stand up for you and your rights,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted after the same development happened in Canada, according to NBC News.