Malta becomes first country to ban gay conversion therapy

Valletta (dpa) - Malta‘s human rights commission on Tuesday hailed parliament‘s decision to ban gay conversion therapy, the first country in the world to do so.The island nation passed a law late Monday to criminalize any medical professional found guilty of prescribing the so-called "gay cure" or any practice that seeks to change gender identity. The new ban will see anyone found guilty fined up to 4,600 euros (5,000 dollars), or even jailed for up to five years in the most serious cases."Around the world people have suffered conversion practices, leading to death or significant harm. Banning these practices promotes equality between all sexual orientations and expressions," Silvan Agius, the director of the Human Rights and Integration Commission told dpa.It is especially significant because parliamentarians approved it unanimously, said Agius, pointing out that Malta was the first country in the world to ban the practice.US vice-president elect Mike Pence has been particularly dogged by accusations that he is a supporter of gay conversion therapy.The amendments to Malta‘s Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act will also allow 16-year-olds to independently request a change in gender on official documents. The new ruling will see Malta retain its position as one of the most progressive places in the world for LGBT rights. The EU‘s smallest state has come a long way since 2011 when the country voted in the legalization of divorce.