The positions were shared in a plenary debate of the Assembly of the Republic on the bills of the parliamentary groups of the Socialist Party (PS), People-Animals-Natureza (PAN), Livre, Bloco de Esquerda (BE) and Chega.

Parliament discussed eight bills on sexual orientation, gender identity and sexual characteristics.

Four of the bills call for the prohibition and criminalisation of so-called “conversion therapies”, which aim to correct alleged deviant practices from the norm, such as homosexuality or transsexuality.

At the beginning of the debate, BE deputy Joana Mortágua stated that the gender identity self-determination law, approved in 2018, is not yet regulated in schools.

BE, like PS, PAN, Livre, also defend that conversion practices are prohibited, pointing out that cases continue to be reported and that these practices are based on methods that inflict physical and psychological suffering and cause trauma, while highlighting that “there is nothing to cure”.

The four parties propose a ban on any practices aimed at the forced conversion of sexual orientation, identity or gender expression, criminalising the act and those who carry out non-consensual practices of changing sexual characteristics.

The PAN spokeswoman, Inês Sousa Real, assured that this is a matter of human rights.

“Today's debate (…) is about recognising people for who they are. It's about ensuring that a child and young person in primary education in a small town or city doesn't have to wait to go to university in Lisbon, Porto or Coimbra to be who they are”, she stressed.

The Chega party member, Rita Matias, accused the PS of not tackling the “real problems” in Education, such as strikes by teachers and students without classes.