A/HRC/44/53 depicting same-sex couples. The patient now identifies as a transgender man and still has negative flashbacks of the treatment he suffered at the camp.98 53. Faith-based interventions are sometimes combined with exorcism. Sexual and gender diversity are sometimes associated with demonic forces, and some leaders of faithbased organizations and traditional healers perform rituals and exorcism to drive the evil out. There are testimonies of such rituals being performed in contexts as wide-ranging as Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom,99 often in evangelical Christian churches. In Chechnya, Russian Federation, demonic djinn expulsion by mullahs is prevalent, but if no djinn is detected, the subject will be deemed as having deliberately chosen the deviant behaviour and therefore deserving of death.100 54. Celibacy is sometimes presented as a way of obtaining redemption. In the Philippines, Christian “ex-gay movements” do not necessarily attempt to change the subject’s orientation, but homosexuals are directed not to engage in same-sex sexual activities.101 V. Effects and related human rights violations A. Damage 55. All evidence provided to the Independent Expert depicting, among other harmful acts, beatings, rape, forced nudity, force-feeding or food deprivation, isolation and confinement, forced medication, verbal abuse, humiliation and electrocution, suggests that the methods and means commonly utilized to implement practices of “conversion therapy” are conducive to psychological and physical pain and suffering. 102 In that regard, the Independent Forensic Expert Group has concluded that: All practices attempting conversion are inherently humiliating, demeaning and discriminatory. The combined effects of feeling powerless and extreme humiliation generate profound feelings of shame, guilt, self-disgust, and worthlessness, which can result in a damaged self-concept and enduring personality changes. The injury caused by practices of “conversion therapy” begins with the notion that an individual is sick, diseased, and abnormal due to their sexual orientation or gender identity and must therefore be treated. This starts a process of victimization.103 56. The deep impact on individuals includes significant loss of self-esteem, anxiety, depressive syndrome, social isolation, intimacy difficulty, self-hatred, shame and guilt, sexual dysfunction, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as often significant physical pain and suffering.104 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 See https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2019.9b9. See ilga.org/Conversion-therapy-global-research-ILGA-World. For France, see www2.assembleenationale.fr/content/download/183270/1836882/version/1/file/Synth%C3%A8se+4+pages+MI+th%C 3%A9rapies+de+conversion+-+version+d%C3%A9finitive.pdf. Ekaterina Petrova, “Chechnya: banishing devils – Chechen authorities against laws of life?” in Lucas Ramon Mendos, “State-sponsored homophobia 2019: global legislation overview update” (See ilga.org/Conversion-therapy-global-research-ILGA-World. See www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hiv-aids/being-lgbt-in-asia--the-philippinecountry-report.html. John Dehlin and others., “Sexual orientation change efforts among current or former LDS church members”, Journal of Counseling Psychology, vol. 62, No. 2. See also www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J236v05n03_08; https://ozanne.foundation/faith-sexualitysurvey-2018/; and https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a8fa/f008ed1c74f105da2ddaf 5d20172033e2d4a.pdf. See www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1752928X20300366. See https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0735-7028.33.3.249; www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J236v05n03_08; https://academiccommons. columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/d8-cf6d-rd43/download; www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-lgbt-therapy- 13