Human dignity is not a diagnosis — and it is not up for treatment
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Three decades after the collapse of rigid ideological systems in Central and Eastern Europe, we still ask a fundamental question: does our system run on knowledge — or on informal networks of power?
Nowhere is this question more urgent than in public health.
Addiction, depression, obesity, and social despair are not isolated phenomena. They are structural signals. They reveal institutional fatigue, ethical hesitation, and the persistence of outdated authority models. And when institutions fail to update their standards according to science and human rights, the consequences are not abstract. They are personal. They are measurable. They are devastating.
This is why one issue stands out with particular clarity:
It is necessary to prohibit by law all forms of so-called conversion therapy because they are scientifically unfounded, violate fundamental human rights, and cause serious harm to the mental health of LGBTIQ+ people.
This is not an ideological debate. It is a medical and ethical one.
Major professional bodies — including the World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association — have made it clear: homosexuality and diverse sexual orientations are not disorders. They are part of the natural spectrum of human identity.
“Conversion therapy” rests on a false premise — that something inherent to a person must be corrected, suppressed, or erased.
There is no credible scientific evidence that such interventions work.
There is extensive evidence that they cause harm.
Studies consistently show increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation among individuals subjected to conversion practices. For minors, the risks are even more severe. When institutional authority validates the idea that a person’s identity is defective, it amplifies stigma and trauma.
A healthcare system that allows such practices cannot claim to be evidence-based.
A state that tolerates them cannot claim to protect human rights.
The Structural Dimension
When institutions lack transparency and standardized protocols, informal power networks fill the vacuum. Decisions depend on personal beliefs rather than professional guidelines. Vulnerable individuals become exposed to arbitrary treatment.
The issue is not symbolism, religion, or ideology. The issue is governance.
If addiction is recognized as a chronic brain condition requiring structured, standardized care, then the same logic must apply here. Public health must operate on verified evidence and universal ethical standards — not on private moral doctrines.
Prohibiting conversion therapy is not about restricting freedom of opinion.
It is about restricting harmful medical or pseudo-medical practices.
Just as medicine abandoned bloodletting and other harmful historical interventions, modern systems must clearly define what constitutes abuse under the guise of therapy.
Public Trust and Prevention
Without trust, prevention fails.
If citizens believe that healthcare is shaped by informal influence, favoritism, or ideological bias, they withdraw. They remain silent. They avoid institutions.
Legal clarity strengthens institutional credibility.
Countries across Europe and beyond have already introduced bans or restrictions on conversion practices. They recognize that the protection of minors and vulnerable adults is not optional — it is foundational.
A society serious about addressing addiction, depression, and rising social despair cannot simultaneously allow practices that increase psychological harm.
Liberal Reform as Institutional Maturity
Reform is not rebellion.
Reform is modernization.
Prohibiting conversion therapy would signal that public health policy is guided by science, ethics, and equal protection — not by hidden hierarchies or outdated doctrines.
Human dignity is not negotiable.
It does not require correction.
It requires protection.
And protection, in a functioning democracy, begins with the law.
📚 References
World Health Organization – ICD-11 classification removing homosexuality as a disorder; mental health policy standards.
American Psychiatric Association – Position Statement on Conversion Therapy and LGBTQ Individuals.
American Psychological Association – Resolution on Sexual Orientation Change Efforts.
United Nations Human Rights Council – Reports on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Trevor Project – Research on mental health impacts of conversion therapy on LGBTQ youth.
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