Archdiocese of Valencia denies carrying out LGBT sexual conversion therapies in its schools

The Archdiocese of Valencia (Spain) rejects accusations of exercising homophobia and developing “sexual conversion therapies” in the sexual affective training of students in diocesan schools.

The accusations have been made by some parents of students in recent months and have become even more evident with the presentation of the website NoEstemMalaltes (We are not sick) with which Compromís, a left-wing and nationalist political group, publicly names three people, including a priest and a psychologist linked to the Spanish archdiocese.

This is Father Óscar García Mulet, member of the Instituto Cooperatores Veritatis de la Madre de Dios (CVMD), secondary school teacher and author of Grow like boys, grow like girls and the psychologist Lourdes Illán, trainer of the San Vicente Mártir Foundation of Diocesan Colleges of Valencia, which brings together 65 centers.

In a statementthe Archbishopric of Valencia states that “the accusation that sexual conversion therapies are included in this affective-sexual training is false. It is a program that fosters a respectful environment in which the acceptance of every person is promoted, any type of discrimination is rejected and the dignity of everyone is respected.”

Likewise, it emphasizes that the Catholic Church “defends the freedom to accompany families who, from their own principles, choose a Catholic education for their children” and respects the freedom of people to think differently.

At the same time, he points out that “we cannot be expected to renounce our principles and values ​​to educate students whose parents freely enroll their children in our schools – because, he continues, respect for all people does not require that we renounce our own character.” of the Catholic school.

As detailed by the Archbishopric, diocesan schools have a resource called Tutorial Action, which “enables the knowledge and support of students” always “in coordination with their families.”

“One of the blocks of the tutorial action of the Diocesan Schools is affective-sexual education, to coordinate guidelines for educational action with students and families,” they add from the Archbishopric.