The responsibility for penalty proceedings against so-called conversion therapies targeting queer people will, in Bremen, from now on fall under the health department. This emerges from a Wednesday-issued notice by Claudia Bernhard (The Left), the senator for health, women and consumer protection. The change is based on a corresponding regulation.
Conversion therapies aim to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or self-identified gender identity. They are directed especially at youths and are offered not only in medical settings but also within religious and ideological contexts. Estimates nationwide suggest that between 1,000 and 2,000 people are affected each year.
For those under 18, as well as for individuals whose consent was based on a lack of voluntary choice, such treatments are punishable. Merely advertising, offering or arranging them can already be penalized with fines of up to 30,000 euros.
Bernhard urged those affected to report to the agency: “My staff and I are very aware of the courage it takes to file such a complaint. Still, I want to encourage those affected to come forward so that we can act against these practices and against those who offer, broker or perform them.”
The agency notes that harm does not begin only with carrying out a conversion treatment — merely confronting someone with such an offer can convey a discriminatory feeling that their sexual orientation or gender identity is in need of treatment, with potentially substantial psychological consequences.
Anyone who has encountered advertisements for conversion therapies or who has been offered or brokered such treatments can contact by e-mail at . A careful handling is assured.
