“She told me it was wrong and that God had not planned this for me,” he says. At 15, he fell in love with a boy and confided in a Christian camp counsellor.
De Oliveira grew up in the conservative Swiss canton of Valais, where he attended an Evangelical Free Church. The story of Isaac de Oliveira, 25, shows just how insidious these practices can be. It is important to offer a space for those who have experienced these therapies to speak up. The evenings end with a meal to allow everyone to chat in an informal atmosphere. Thematic meetings also allow church representatives to learn about the various issues that concern the LGBTQ community. Many of those who attend the centre have experienced conversion therapy or strong community pressure. In 2019, it supported extending marriage rights to same-sex couples.
The Protestant Church is open to questions of sexuality. The head and founder of Antenna LGBTI Geneva, Adrian Stiefel, wants to offer a framework in which “anyone seeking meaning and spirituality can live their faith”. Geneva pastor Sandrine Landeau at the Antenna LGBTI Geneva, discussing “the gender of God”. Those who have gone through these therapies often need to rebuild their lives.
Mario (middle), a victim of conversion therapy, has found a way to reconcile religion and homosexuality, notably by attending the Antenna LGBTI Geneva. “When I was 19, I went to the United States for a week of ‘sexual and identity release therapy’ with a pastor-psychiatrist who mixed prayers, exorcism and analysis.” Stiefel himself has had experience of this. These organisations offer, for example, courses or discussion groups to help people regain a healthy sexuality. However, it is impossible to quantify the phenomenon precisely, says Adrian Stiefel, head of Antenna LGBTI Geneva, mainly because some therapy groups hide behind other names. Several thousand people are said to be affected in Switzerland. The organisation provides support for several others who have gone through a form of conversion therapy. He has since found support in the “ Antenna LGBTI Geneva External link”, a platform run by the Protestant Church in Geneva for religious information and exchange for sexual and gender minorities. The government has always considered that existing legislation is sufficient to prevent such abuse, since it bans the imposition of such treatment on a minor without their consent. However, the treatment Mario endured is not yet formally banned at the national level, even though several pending parliamentary initiatives have called for this. Some cantons have decided to legislate, including Geneva, Vaud and Bern. Switzerland, however, is reluctant to follow the international trend. Some 6% of the population belong to other Christian communities, including Free Evangelical movements. Both communities are recognised under public law, except in the cantons of Geneva and Neuchâtel. The biggest religious group is the Roman Catholic Church (over 34.4% of the population), followed by the Evangelical Reformed Church (22.5%). In Switzerland religious freedom is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. He lost his bearings, didn’t leave the house, and thought about suicide. “I felt a huge sense of guilt, contempt and even hatred for myself,” he says. But despite the prayers, he realised his sexual orientation hadn’t changed. Initially Mario believed in them and even agreed to testify about his journey in church. “I felt a huge sense of guilt, contempt and even hatred for myself.” “I told them, ‘I’m gay, but don’t worry, I’ll deal with it’.” He set out to change, and sought help in Geneva’s evangelical community: exorcism sessions, discussion groups, fasting – he was offered a wide range of practices which promised to “cure his homosexuality”. “In our culture homosexuality is not accepted,” he explains.ĭespite this, when Mario was 16 he decided to tell his parents about his homosexuality. The family was very religious and attended an Evangelical Free Church in Geneva.
He is the only boy among five children and his parents had high expectations of their only son. Of Lebanese origin, he came to Geneva at the age of 13. For them, it was a sign that I was cured.” Mario, 29, speaks now self-assuredly about the numerous conversion therapy sessions he underwent between 20. The psychological exhaustion eventually led to tears running down my cheeks. Something had to happen for them to stop. “I was on my knees in the middle of a circle of people who were shouting to get the demon of homosexuality out of me.