Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn on Monday introduced a draft law that bans so-called "conversion therapy" for LGBT+ people, completely banning it for all youths under the age of 18.

The Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) newspaper reported that consenting adults would still be able to seek out the treatment, which is considered to be harmful pseudo-science garbage by a growing majority of the medical and psychiatric community.

Mr. Spahn is openly gay, and says that being LGBT+ "is not a disease" and shouldn't be treated as such.  He adds that "a ban also sends an important societal signal to all those who are struggling with their homosexuality: 'You're OK just as you are'."

Conversion therapy is often sought out by intolerant parents of LGBT+ youth, and seeks to effectively repress the victim's sexuality.  Methods including electroshock therapy and aversive conditioning techniques are used during the sessions, which is why medical and psychiatric professionals, as well as just plain decent people, consider it to be abuse.