«Guérir de l’homosexualité»? Sulla regolamentazione delle terapie di conversione in Svizzera

Abstract

“Guérir de l’homosexualité?” On the regulation of conversion therapies in Switzerland – At the beginning of the 19th century the idea that homosexuality was a disease that could be cured with the most varied medical, psychanalytical and spiritual techniques started to prevail. Also known as conversion therapies, these later had as their main objective that of expunging this “deviancy” in order to restore heteronormality. Even if at present their inefficacy and harmfulness is widely acknowledged, these therapies are nonetheless still practiced and the majority of the European states have not yet intervened to outlaw them, including Switzerland. After a reconnaissance of the steps so far taken in Switzerland to prohibit conversion therapies, this article provides some first reasons for legitimizing their explicit ban at the national level.