All parties, with the exception of Chega, came to a consensus on Wednesday to protect the human rights of transgender and gay people, calling for a ban and criminalization of the practice of forced sexual orientation.
The positions were revealed in the plenary debates of the Assembly of the Republic on the bills of the parliamentary groups of the Socialist Party (PS), People-Animals-Nature (PAN), Livre, Block de Esquerda (BE) and Chega.
Parliament discussed eight bills on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender characteristics.
Among those eight, there are four bills that would ban and criminalize so-called “conversion therapy”, which aims to correct perceived abnormalities such as homosexuality or transsexuality.
At the start of the debate, BE MP Joana Mortagua stated that the gender identity self-determination law passed in 2018 is not yet regulated in schools.
“The absence of regulations in schools, because the Constitutional Court realized that it is not the government that does not have the authority to do this, but the parliament should do this,” the blogger explained.
BE, like PS, PAN, Livre, also advocates a ban on the practice of conversion, pointing out that such cases continue to be reported and that these practices are based on methods that cause physical and psychological suffering and injury, whether through medical or religious approaches. and paying attention to the fact that “there is nothing to treat.”
The four parties are proposing to ban any practice aimed at forcibly changing sexual orientation, identity or gender expression, criminalizing the act and those who engage in the practice of gender change without consent.
PAN spokeswoman Ines Sousa Real assured that it was about human rights and not about toilets.
“Today’s discussion (…) is about recognizing people for who they are. It is about making sure that a child and young person with a basic education from a small town or city does not have to wait to enter a university in Lisbon, Porto or Coimbra. be who you are,” he stressed.
Livre leader Ruy Tavares also stated that it was not about “modernity” but about modernity, stating that “one cannot cure what is not a disease”.
Isabelle Moreira of PS stressed that the rights of children and young people are fundamental.
“These are human rights. We are talking about well-being. (…) We are talking about human lives. Let the school be a place of freedom and respect,” he stressed.
For his part, socialist MP Miguel Rodríguez argued that “the so-called conversion therapy has nothing therapeutic.”
Chegi MP Rita Mathias accused the PS of moving the debate into “mixed toilets” instead of “real problems” of education, such as strikes by teachers and students without classes.
“[A Assembleia da República] is in a hurry to bring a gender identity specialist or consultant to schools. Health workers in schools? No. Gender activists? Yes,” he pointed out, adding that Portugal is “a country with inverted priorities.”
Chega’s bill places great emphasis on the issue of shared bathrooms and changing rooms, arguing that “the creation of specific, defined and properly defined spaces respects the privacy of all those who wish to share a bathroom of their gender and also protects individuals.” with gender dysphoria or in the process of social transition.”
IL MP Carla Castro said the fight against homophobia and transphobia “is an unfinished fight.” Joana Cordeiro, from the same parliamentary group, said the proposals “require change” and that her party is ready “for the job”.
In turn, the PSD, in the voice of Lina Lopez, called on the government to allocate funds to school leaders and employees in order to guarantee and respect the rights of young people.
In terms of criminalization and related penalties, the bills differ, as the OP proposes a sentence of up to two years in prison for “anyone who practices, promotes or encourages activities that are intended to change or suppress sexual orientation, identity or expression of another gender.”
PAN accompanies PS, but only if the practice is in the medical field, otherwise it carries a penalty of up to one year in prison or a fine.
BE and Livre offer jail terms of up to three years to all parties except PS.
The parties propose increased penalties if the crimes are committed by more than one person, if the victim is under 16 years of age, under 14 years of age, or if they are a particularly vulnerable person, or if this resulted in serious physical harm, danger to life or suicide, among other situations.
Livre also suggests that anyone convicted of these crimes could be sentenced to be barred from entering into the trust of a minor, whether by adoption, foster care, civil sponsorship, or other form of guardianship, for between two and twenty years.
PAN also proposes that the practice be examined and recommends that, within three months of the entry into force of the new law, the government, in conjunction with the Commission on Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG), conduct a study on the impact of physical and psychological abuse on victims and a survey of the number of people subjected to such practices in throughout the country.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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