The parliament of Malta passed a bill on Monday banning "conversion therapy," the name given to programs that aim to change sexual orientation or gender identity, the Times of Malta reports. In passing the Affirmation of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression Bill, the Mediterranean island nation is reportedly the first European country to effectively criminalize the practice nationwide.
"Conversion therapy," also called "reparative therapy," has been widely criticized for being both ineffective and actively harmful. The World Psychiatric Association condemns the practice as "wholly unethical" and maintains that "there is no sound scientific evidence that innate sexual orientation can be changed."
So-called "therapy" to change sexuality can include electroshock treatment or verbal abuse. In the U.S., "conversion therapy" is banned in some form in five states and Washington, D.C.
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