Swiss government opens consultation on national conversion-practices ban

Conversion practices can take place wherever an authority figure claims to offer a route out of sexual or gender diversity. The Federal Council report describes attempts aimed at homosexuality, bisexuality, transgender identity and other forms of sexual and gender diversity.

The conduct may range from counselling and verbal pressure to interventions that affect a person’s physical integrity. The report identifies religious communities, families, schools, medical settings and psychotherapy as possible environments. That breadth presents a legal challenge: a future prohibition would need to address coercion and harm without confusing ordinary personal, religious or therapeutic support with attempts to suppress identity.

Swiss professional rules already set limits. Psychiatrists, psychologists and other health care professionals must follow professional law and ethical standards. The report says purported treatments designed to “cure” homosexuality may breach professional duties, whether directed at adults or minors. Professional associations for psychology and psychotherapy also prohibit discrimination and the improper use of religious influence in treatment.

Those rules provide existing routes for disciplinary or professional action, but they do not necessarily offer the same reach as a dedicated criminal or federal prohibition. The government’s report places both systems in the debate: enforce current duties and decide whether a specific national offence is needed.

A nationwide ban would replace a patchwork of cantonal responses with one federal framework. Several cantons have introduced, or are preparing, restrictions on conversion practices. The Federal Council says that variation can make protections less clear for people seeking help and for institutions responsible for preventing abuse.

Switzerland’s federal structure means cantons retain significant responsibility in areas including health care, education and enforcement. A national rule would need to define which conduct is prohibited, who can be held responsible and how authorities should handle cases involving minors. It would also need to work alongside professional regulation and existing protections for physical and psychological integrity.

The government has not yet presented a final bill. Its report says existing legal protections are broadly adequate, while recognising that a specific federal ban could offer greater clarity and a stronger public signal. That position leaves room for debate over scope, sanctions and the relationship between criminal law, professional discipline and cantonal measures.

The next formal step belongs to Parliament. One possible route is a previously suspended motion that could be revived in the Council of States. Andrea Caroni, president of the chamber’s legal affairs committee, could bring the proposal forward at the earliest in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The proposed ban remains a process rather than a settled law. The Federal Council has stated its position, documented reported harm and identified a possible parliamentary route, but Parliament must first authorise the government to draft and advance legislation.

That process will test how Switzerland balances a clear prohibition with the practical realities of enforcement. Lawmakers will have to consider whether the ban should cover only coercive conduct, how it should protect minors and adults, and which authorities should investigate complaints. They will also need to define how a federal rule would interact with cantonal restrictions and the professional obligations already binding on psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists and other health care workers.

The available evidence gives the debate a starting point. 15.5% of transgender respondents and 9.5% of lesbian, gay and bisexual respondents in the Swiss LGBTIQ+ Panel reported pressure to change or suppress identity or sexual orientation. The Federal Council says the data are incomplete, but the reported harms include anxiety, depression, reduced self esteem and damaged social relationships.

If Parliament revives the suspended motion, the issue could move from a federal report into the legislative process later in 2026. Until then, cantonal authorities and professional bodies remain responsible for applying the protections already in force.