On August 30, BFM TV broadcast images of a "conversion therapy" to heterosexuality, organized by the evangelical group "Torrents of Life". The DILCRAH immediately took the matter to court, and LGBT+ associations demanded a heavy sentence, with broad support from the media.
Following a long media campaign, France banned “conversion therapy” in January 2022. Activists repeated that it was a “ act of torture ", and multiplied the frightening stories: exorcisms, electroshocks... the law had been voted almost unanimously.
But the hidden camera of BFM TV shows a very different situation: the organizers advise the journalist to read the testimony of an ex-homosexual and invite her to say some prayers. That violent "therapies" existed, no one denies: but where are the "acts of torture" here?
They were just a pretext: the French law, inspired by a handful of Catholic LGBT+ activists, was tailor-made to impose sex education in religious schools, gag criticism of transgender ideology... anything but protect victims, as we will see.
Above all, we will see that they stopped at nothing to get it voted on: false priests sent to testify in the Assembly, a list of dubious "torturers", astroturfing…and that the text carefully ignores pro-LGBT “conversion therapies”, such as “ coming out of heterosexuality ", often destructive but widely encouraged.
The Catholic Church, homosexuality and LGBT+ activists
Let us recall the position of the Catholic Church on homosexuality2 : if homosexual acts are a serious sin, feeling homosexual attractions in itself is not condemnable, nor a " disease »: it is to be more inclined to certain temptations than others.
The Church therefore commands them to remain chaste, what some people do. Those who do not want to do so must still be welcomed. with respect, compassion and delicacy »3. This position is not considered by any government as " homophobe ", and falls within the scope of freedom of religion, recognized by international treaties.
Since the 1970s, small groups of homosexual Catholics have tried to challenge it. But Catholicism is a bloc, one cannot keep certain precepts and reject others: even less the condemnation of sodomy, solidly based on the texts4.
Their first tactic is therefore to play tricks with the texts, often comically: every male friendship in the Bible is a hidden gay couple.5, etc… It is necessary to prove at all costs that the position of the Church is false, a simple “ fundamentalist interpretation » to be abolished.
The second tactic is to label this position as "homophobia" in order to bring it down under the law. This is just as unlikely: no country or international jurisdiction sees them this way: calling for chastity while respecting the person is not "violence".
This is where the trick of "conversion therapies" comes in. Practiced by certain American evangelical movements that think they can "convert" homosexuals to heterosexuality, they do not correspond to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, which condemns them - even if abuses have occurred locally. They will be used to pass a law that is too broad, which will criminalize the very idea that homosexuality is a sin. The Church will then be forced to change.
The idea seems crazy? A handful of LGBT+ activists will nevertheless try: it will be the #RienàGuérir collective.
#RienàCure: dubious testimonies, great media support.
#RienàGuérir presents itself as a “ collective » French from « survivant·e·s of conversion therapy ", who would campaign to stop these " acts of torture » homophobic.
A curious “collective”… which only seems to have two known and active members: its spokesperson, the young director Benoît Berthe Siward and the ex-monk Jean-Michel Dunand. The journalist Timothée de Rauglaudre will come to support them, without indicating that he is part of it. All three are Catholic, gay and LGBT+ activists. Memorize these three names: we will see them come up again and again when it is necessary to make people believe in a “ diversity of speeches ».
The same goes for the "testimonies" of victims of therapies in France. We are promised "dozens" of them6", we only find two authenticable ones in the press: those of… Siward and Dunand. And they are subject to caution:
– Siward claims to have attended courses as a teenager to cure him of his homosexuality at the Community of Beatitudes. Courses without “ physical violence but with psychological violence " : of the " indiscreet questions about his sexuality ", scary words" Gay men often have to have their anuses sewn up "Etc.
This remains reprehensible… but Siward refrains from mentioning that the said Community, an organization close to Protestantism, was reframed by the Vatican in 2010: these “internships” are forbidden in the Catholic Church. Yet we will see him held responsible for it, why?
– Dunand, a young monk, was torn between his desire to serve God and his sexual life. During the day, he devoted himself, accompanied by brothers, to liturgical services and other prayers. As for the evening, he frequented pornographic cinemas and public toilets, homosexual meeting places.7. His superiors allegedly subjected him to " eight exorcisms " for the en " cure »
Let us recall that Dunand was an adult and a volunteer – an exorcism, a cumbersome procedure, requires a written request from the person concerned and the approval of a bishop. Above all, as a monk at the Carmel, he was bound by chastity: if he had run after girls instead of running after boys, the result would have been the same. Why then speak of " homophobia "?
Because like Siward, he uses it to demand that Catholicism be rewritten in a LGBT-friendly. That the Church rejects violent conversion therapies is of no importance: it is a pretext to abolish the very idea that homosexuality is a sin, which would be that a " fundamentalist reading of the Bible (Dunand), or even the result of a " text manipulation8 » (Siward).
This tactic is not very original: a whole branch of "progressive" Catholicism uses abuses in the Church to demand reforms to its liking. The " toxic therapies » are the perfect opportunity to abolish the « toxic theology » claims a German LGBT+ theologianThis current nevertheless remains very much a minority within French Catholicism, which is rather traditionalist.
On the other hand, it is the opposite in the media, always fond of believers. deconstructed. Feminist Rabbi, pastor Woke ou pro-LGBT+ priests are frequently invited there, even if they have no audience in their own community. Any campaign to force the Catholic Church to stop condemning homosexuality, under the pretext of "fighting conversion therapy", is sure to be well received there.
And Siward knows how to run a media campaign. It's even his job: as a director, he also runs a small public relations agency that organizes the promotion of animated films to the Oscar jury. With the support of other LGBT+ associations, including SOS Homophobie and David et Jonathan, this campaign will go very far.
Siward campaign on “acts of torture”
First, we will set up this dubious "collective" #RienàGuérir which seems to be summed up by Siward and Dunand, supported by de Rauglaudre. This classic maneuver is called " astroturfing » : to make believe in a popular and massive movement of « casualties » invented from scratch.
Then, the theme of “ acts of torture " will be hammered home in all the media: Slate, France Inter, Libération, the worlde… To prepare the public mind to support the future law, atrocious anecdotes are multiplied: mistreatment, electroshocks, even rapes… and they are made to believe that there is an urgent need to legislate, because the phenomenon would gain momentum.
All these examples are American, and the only real organizer of "therapies" in France, the evangelical group "Torrents de vie", has never been suspected of such violence: but they refrain from saying so. Like Siward, Dunand goes around the media to repeat that the Catholic Church also practices "conversion therapies", and that the "eight exorcisms" he underwent constituted one.
Approaching parliamentarians, Siward wins the support of the deputy and lesbian activist LREM Laurence Vanceunebrock who will bring the bill to the Assembly. No certified testimony of " acts of torture " in France? She will justify it with... the figures from the telephone switchboard of an LGBT+ association. That these militant figures often turn out to be rigged It doesn't matter: we have to convince the government that this is a massive social problem, to push it to support the law.
The campaign was immediately supported by the third #RienàGuérir, Timothée de Rauglaudre, who released a documentary for Arte in 2019: “ Homotherapy: forced conversions » followed by a book-report « God is love ", in collaboration with France-Info journalist Jean-Loup Adénor.
Under the pretext of "infiltrating therapies", these are leaflets in favor of an LGBT-friendly reform of religions finally freed from their " rigorous speech "... and the future law inspired by #RienàGuérir.
The main testimonies in the book and film are those of… Dunand and Siward9.
There is an attempt to make him appear as a mere "victim": neither the chapter devoted to his testimony nor the one devoted to the law against "therapies" mention that he was at the origin of the whole campaign.
We even go so far as to hide his name: he is a " ordinary citizen ", a " young man " who would have challenged MP Vanceunebrock to demand a law against "therapies".
Here again, the public must be made to believe in terrifying and massive " acts of torture» denounced by a « survivors collective "... actually reduced to two men: astroturfing always.
The crazy 2019 report… that the government must urgently disavow
Faced with such media pressure, the government – here the Minister for Gender Equality M/F Marlène Schiappa – quickly gave its support. A parliamentary mission formed by Laurence Vanceunebrock and Bastien Lachaud (LFI, also very committed to LGBTI+) quickly drafted a investigation report and synthesis rendered in December 2019,
The government becomes aware of this... and, surprise, everything is cancelled! Minister Schiappa announces that she no longer supports the vote on a law, and prefers to ban "therapies" by amendments filed in another text: Vanceunebrock and Siward are furious.
Why this about-face? The Ministry of Justice has blocked it, and for good reason: the proposed law is unvotable. It violates secularism, religious freedom and freedom of education.
The rapporteurs begin by making themselves… pope and popess: they declare the idea that homosexuality is a sin a “ literal interpretation, obsolete et disputed from the Bible. », repeating to the letter the theses of Siward, Dunand, and other “LGBT+ Catholic” activists.
The encouragement of celibacy, the official doctrine of the Catholic Church, will therefore be assimilated to sexual harassment (sic), like the rest of the "therapies".
This is both outlawing the Church and preventing homosexuals who want to remain chaste from being supported by their priest: and they exist. So do the voices of some homosexuals matter more than others?
The best is yet to come: there are concerns that religious schools are teaching that homosexual acts are " inherently disordered " – the very words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. So Catholic schools should stop teaching the catechism?
In any case, the associations want to remedy this by forcibly sending LGBT+ activists into the classrooms, for "interventions"... where they will teach the complete opposite. It's the return of the dragonnades, under the pretext of " fight against LGBT-phobias«
Let us recall that no country that has banned "therapies" has done so: they have generally excluded consenting adults from the scope of the law (Greece, UK), none has attempted to break religious education, and especially to impose LGBT+ activism in defiance of religious freedom.
The law inspired by #RienàGuérir is therefore a political weapon: designed to force the Catholic Church to abandon its condemnation of homosexuality and prevent it from teaching it, under the pretext of fighting against "therapies" that are almost non-existent in France... and which it condemns.
All the more so since they would already fall under the law: French legislation against abuses and sectarian deviations is already very comprehensive. The government therefore rebuffs Siward, and orders him to " use the laws existing "... which he carefully refrains from doing: no complaint is filed or supported by #RienàGuérir.
French law of 2022: no protection for victims, criminalization of conservatism
Discouraged for a while, Siward resumed his campaign. In July 2020, Marlène Schiappa gave way to Elisabeth Moreno… who also refused, preferring to ban “therapies” by circular. Anger from Siward, Vanceunebrock and LGBT+ associations, threatening articles in the press: she finally gave in.
Bill No. 4021 of March 23, 202110 takes up the bulk of the report's suggestions, removing the most shocking ones. Direct attacks against the Church, the crime of calling for chastity and the forced entry of LGBT activists into Catholic schools have been removed. Which have clearly caused concern: Vanceunebrock assures without laughing that " exchanges in recent months with religious authorities " helped to make it clear that it was not a question of attacking the "beliefs, faith or even sacred texts ».
With limits: rabbis and pastors are heard by the Assembly, but no priests. The only Catholics invited are two ultra-minority associations of LGBT+ believers. And… Dunand of #RienàGuérir, who proclaimed himself for the occasion “ prior ", when he is not even a priest. Our activists will stop at nothing. Has the Assembly understood that it is being fooled with false " religious authorities »?
The law remains dangerously broad: any “repeated statement” can be considered as “ conversion therapy " and be worth two years in prison. A member of parliament is concerned about the imprecisions in the text: Vanceunebrock refuses to correct it, because " Association lawyers prefer the initial formulation11"We will see why: it is precisely abusive trials that activists are looking for.
Final proof that the " acts of torture " are only a pretext: a legal loophole that has never been corrected would allow even the worst torturer to escape the law as long as the facts are not "repeated". The Dalloz team has reported in vain: no rectification in eighteen months. This shows how important the concern for the victims is.
Even more curious: we prohibit "practices to change a person's gender identity "... while no therapy to "cure trans people" has ever been observed in France! An LGBT+ sympathizer makes this remark to Siward. He replies that no, it does exist. The proof: he has " a well-stocked list » of " practitioners, religious, speakers » who practice them… but he cannot reveal it, for fear of the “ defamation attacks ».
This is hardly credible, Siward loving to accuse everyone of "transphobia" on Twitter, for facts as trivial as refusing to see burn JK Rowling's books. The trials in " defamation " would scare him now? We will never see this " list of practitioners " published to justify this absurd paragraph... which will in fact serve to threaten with lawsuits any opponent of transgender ideology.
Some radical feminists and LR senators will realize this, and will try to oppose it, in vain: the media pressure is too strong. Three months later, it will be voted unanimously in the Assembly, then by a large majority in the Senate.
It must be said that we were expecting the recalcitrants to take a turn: they were pilloried by Libération, which published the detailed list under the pretext of fact-checking. In the midst of the media hype about the " acts of torture ", was to make them appear as supporters of child torturers: which does not help to be re-elected.
Using the law to crush Catholics and opponents of transgender ideology
RienàGuérir and its allies urgently demanded the law to finally sanction “therapies”. It was voted on January 31, 2022. What will happen? Nothing.
For a year and a half, no complaints or reports. Associations accuse the "law of silence"12 among the victims... but that doesn't hold up, because they too are "silent." Siward claimed in Le Monde to know " In Paris alone, around twenty individuals or religious and medical institutions practice or refer people to these “therapies”". What is he waiting for to have them condemned?
We end up wondering if these " lists well supplied » by authors of « acts of torture ", which Siward constantly mentions without ever showing them, really exist. Because our activist will indeed use the law... but to attack the doctrine of the Church and threaten those who teach it.
Any priest who publicly reminds us that homosexuality is a sin is accused of holding a " illegal speech » : his words constitute a « kind of conversion therapy " or a " gentle conversion therapy »(Sic).
Siward then went on to attack opponents of transgender ideology, including radical feminists Stern and Moutot, for "transphobia."13. His law will also allow activists woke to invent a curious reasoning: you refuse that adolescents are mutilated in the name of an ideology? You deny the gender of trans people… so your ideas are conversion therapy (sic) and therefore a crime.
This rhetoric, which will have great success, is even spread in the mainstream press. Here is a column from Libération:
There is nothing very new here: the 2022 law on "conversion therapy" is an exact copy of the 2004 law against "homophobic remarks". Here again, a fictitious homophobic "act of torture" (the assault on Sébastien Nouchet) was blown out of proportion by LGBT+ associations and the media to get a vague law passed almost unanimously.
What use did it serve them? To qualify any opposition to LGBT+ demands as a crime. Being publicly against marriage for all, medically assisted procreation, or transactivism is reported as " About homophobic " or "we transphobic » (according to the 2022 update). SOS Homophobie no longer hesitates to threaten to sue those who criticize a father through GPA: a practice which is nevertheless considered to be the sale of children and prohibited in France, but which the association wants to see legalized.
Creating case law: “Torrents of life”, a case blown out of proportion
Being threatened with a trial for one's opinions is already a deterrent: but it would be even more so with a heavy sentence that would set a precedent. In eighteen months, as we have seen, we have not found any: and for good reason: the conversion "therapies" carried out in France, generally non-violent and consensual, are very rare - far from the fantasy spread by #RienàGuérir.
No matter: we're going to create one. Because no conversion therapy was organized at Torrent de Vie on the day of Morgane Dumont's (BFM TV) visit: the course focused on addiction (alcohol, drugs). It was the journalist who insisted to the organizers that she be "cured" of her homosexuality: and this therapy was limited to a few prayers and reading recommendations.
This does not prevent the three #RienAGuérir accomplices, assisted by SOS Homophobie, from immediately relaunching the media campaign on the " acts of torture " as soon as the report is released. The average viewer - who has only seen a few seconds of images on BFMTV - must be persuaded that the organizers are torturers. The association "Torrents de vie", never invited, has no possibility of defending itself.
Other activists will attack the FNAC in a pack, guilty of selling the book used by the association, a " torture manual » (sic). Pure militant fantasy: the book contains no calls for violence. Pastor Andrew Cominsky recounts how, following a gang rape, he became heterosexual through prayer, and helped others to do so. He does consider homosexuality to be a sin and the result of childhood trauma – but in that game, you might as well censor the Bible, or the very progressive Pope Francis, who has made similar comments in 2018.
And we saw that this is exactly the project of #RienàGuérir: as soon as the report was released, Dunand used it to demand a " Bible interpretation work »14. Other LGBT+ activists speak frankly about “ correct bad texts [biblical]” and to promote the “ texts positive [towards homosexuality]».
The Catholic Church, not practicing "conversion therapies", believed itself to be safe: in 2020, the Conference of Bishops of France had even personally assured Siward of this. Naive hope: he is still accused of maintaining the " assumptions " (sic). And this will continue until she gives in.
We therefore understand the insistence of #RienàGuérir to have “Torrents de vie” heavily condemned for “therapies” even if consensual and non-violent: it is creating a case law to accuse the Church tomorrow of “ homophobia ", according to the biased law that was passed.
On July 13, Siward, invited to the European Parliament15, demanded that a law of the same type be extended to the entire European Union. And proclaimed in passing that it is necessary to " debunk the idea that it is an attack on freedom of thought, conscience and religion "(sic)... if ridicule does not kill, neither does cynicism.
However, the "Siward method" is beginning to be known. An English journalist denounces " the campaign of a single pretentious director who pretends to be an entire movement " and had a law passed in France " based on lies ».
A radical feminist, she fears – with good reason – that this “ban on conversion therapy” will serve to silence any opposition to transgender ideology in Europe. And she questions the funding of the #RienàGuérir campaign. Siward immediately has her Twitter account closed for “transphobia”: gag laws have their good points.
Pro-LGBT+ “conversion therapies”… and how they are encouraged
The great irony of history is that there are completely legal "conversion therapies" in France: these are theories woke of the coming out of heterosexuality
La theory original was stated by the feminist Monique Wittig: heterosexual relationships being relationships of "domination" "patriarchal" and "capitalist", no longer sleeping with men is therefore freeing oneself from them. The thesis is very fashionable in radical left circles: a recently published book even suggests that you " Becoming a Lesbian in Ten Steps " If this is not "conversion", what is it?
We see all the hypocrisy Woke : when a pastor encourages willing homosexuals to convert, activists cry "torture". When they themselves encourage heterosexuals to do it... it's wonderful and "liberating".
The consequences are, however, serious. In the circles deconstructed, I have come across some of these "militant lesbians" who proudly announce that they have given up on men. You end up understanding that they are not really attracted to women, however. From time to time, they crack and go out with a man - but carefully hide it from their "girlfriends". They are repressed homosexuals in reverse, with all the neuroses that implies.
Yet there is neither indignation nor media campaign: better, very serious researchers Gender studies are looking for ways to encourage the phenomenon in order to poison the "daily guerrilla warfare against the Male. Pro-LGBT conversion therapies have a bright future ahead of them.
