- MP Kavirathna concerned that many have misinterpreted the nature of sexual orientation
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition Parliamentarian Rohini Kumari Wijerathna Kavirathna criticised the Government for its alleged lack of support in advancing her Private Member Bill aimed at banning conversion therapy in Sri Lanka which seeks to ban the practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity.
When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (3), MP Kavirathna expressed concern that many MPs and the general public have misinterpreted the nature of sexual orientation, stating that even the World Health Organisation has acknowledged that it is not a mental illness. She noted that people do not have a choice regarding their sexuality, highlighting that it is something that they are born with. She said that there is no progress in the said Private Member Bill since she tabled it in the Parliament in 2022.
She also stressed the need to remove legal barriers that infringe upon the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, intersex, and queer and questioning persons (LGBTIQ) and other related persons, asserting that they should not be treated differently. “Sexuality is a natural occurrence. We should remove legal barriers that deprive them of their rights. They should not be treated differently,” Kavirathna said.
Moreover, she urged the Government to take the initiative in supporting this crucial piece of legislation, highlighting the importance of Government action in protecting the rights of LGBTIQ persons and ensuring their equal treatment under the law.
The Private Member Bill, tabled by Kavirathna in 2022, calls for an end to conversion therapy, which is often seen as a pseudoscientific and harmful practice. Conversion therapy is considered by many to be an alternative psychiatric practice aimed at ‘correcting’ an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. Kavirathna's Bill seeks to put an end to this practice, which she describes as “most unscientific and harmful” to LGBTIQ persons in Sri Lanka.