Bill in Spain seeks to imprison pastors helping people struggling with same-sex attraction

Spain’s Congress of Deputies has taken a significant step toward outlawing a broad range of gender-related interventions.

On June 24, 2025, lawmakers approved a preliminary bill that would criminalize efforts to alter a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, a move that has sparked fierce opposition from religious groups, The Christian Post reported.

The bill seeks to revise Article 10/1995 of Spain’s Penal Code by inserting a new section—Article 173—that would make it a crime to perform or promote so-called conversion therapies. This includes any act, technique or method aimed at changing, suppressing, or denying a person’s identity or expression related to gender or sexuality.

Wide Political Support for Stiff Criminal Measures

The bill was backed by the ruling Socialist party and achieved substantial parliamentary consensus, passing the Congress with 311 votes in favor, 33 against, and one abstention. Lawmakers justified the legislation by pointing to an increase in unregulated therapy practices circulating through websites and social media platforms.

The legislative proposal calls for prison terms ranging from six months to two years for offenders. Sentences could be extended depending on several aggravating factors, including if the victim is a child, if the motivation is profit, or if coercion is involved.

Caretakers of minors or vulnerable individuals who facilitate such practices may also face punishment, including disqualification from exercising parental or guardianship roles for up to five years if deemed necessary by the judge.

Evangelical Alliance Challenges the Framework

The Spanish Evangelical Alliance (AEE) issued a formal response, denouncing the bill as an overreach that infringes on democratic liberties. In a five-point document, the organization argued that these forms of support are already restricted adequately under current laws and professional codes.

The AEE emphasized that consensual pastoral or therapeutic support should not be conflated with coercive or harmful interventions. According to the group, such spiritual guidance is often initiated by the person seeking help and is based on mutual agreement and transparency.

The alliance further contended that regulating gender transitions unequally favors movement in one direction only—toward gender change—while criminalizing decisions to move in the opposite direction, such as de-transitioning.

Concerns About Personal Freedom and Equality

AEE leadership argued that the bill injects subjective morality into legal decisions. They criticized the law for imposing double standards that they believe lack an objective or coherent basis for their distinctions.

In their statement, AEE said, “This regulation contradicts its purpose by treating one type of gender transition as valid and protected, while penalizing the inverse, thus denying support to those who voluntarily seek congruence between their birth sex and gender identity.”

They also warned that the proposed legislation moralizes public policy by defining acceptable forms of identity support through legislative force instead of personal autonomy.

Calls for Caution and Conscience-Based Voting

The Evangelical Alliance expressed concerns that the new law could lead to an increase in conscientious objections among faith-based professionals and community leaders. They referenced prior national debates in which healthcare workers resisted policies by invoking conscience rights.

AEE leaders urged lawmakers to avoid allowing ideology to drive legislation. “We are not facing a question in which ideology should govern, but the deepest and most transversal democratic sense of respect for the fundamental rights of the person,” the group stated.

The group called on legislators to vote according to conscience and to uphold the autonomy of individuals who choose their own paths of emotional or psychological support, especially when that support is voluntary and non-violent.

Next Phase in the Legislative Process

Now that Spain’s lower chamber has approved the preliminary bill, it moves to the Senate for review and potential final passage. If the Senate also votes in favor, the measure would be formally enacted and enforced as national law.

Supporters of the legislation argue that criminal penalties are necessary to address what they view as attacks on the dignity of the LGBTQ+ community. Lawmakers pointed to digital platforms as contributing to the spread of what they label harmful and pseudo-scientific practices.

The bill maintains that it seeks to eliminate criminalization and stigmatization based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, presenting itself as part of a broader effort toward inclusivity and human rights protection.