Mexico City Has Outlawed Conversion Therapy

It has become the first city in the country to do so.

Mikelle Street

Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.

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Mikelle Street

July 29 2020 8:07 AM EST

November 04 2024 9:47 AM EST

MikelleStreet

As more and more individuals come out against the debunked practice known as conversion therapy, various localities have also continued to outlaw it. The latest of which is Mexico City.

Conversion therapy is a loosely defined set of practices that seek to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. These methods include everything from "praying the gay away" to electroshock treatment. The practice has been widely debunked both in the United States and internationally by health organizations and human rights groups. The banning of it has mostly centered on minors with various countries and states outlawing the practice.

Last week, Mexico City's regional congress approved a bill to criminalize the practice. With broad support, the legislation would sanction conversion therapy providers with up to five years in prison regardless of the age of the victim. Sentences would be higher where minors are involved.

The bill was passed in a virtual session by lawmakers according to Reuters.

It's the first city in the country to ban the practice. They join countries like Germany, Malta, Ecuador, and Brazil. The United Kingdom has seen widespread calls to also ban it and Instagram barred the promotion of it. Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, a gay prince in India, recently revealed that he was subjected to electroshock treatment as a result of coming out to his family.