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It's a bright and blustery day in Geneva and crowds are gathering near the Mont Blanc bridge

for an important annual event. Today is the International Day against

homophobia, bifobia and transphobia and it's always a day we commemorate here in Geneva.

I'm here in Switzerland to meet Adrian Steffelm. He's an LGBTQ plus activist who's spent the

majority of his adult life trying to understand his sexuality and his relationship to God.

The opening of this day always starts here to commemorate the death of Bartolomitessia

who was a young man of 15 years old that was drowned in the river here in Geneva for being gay

in the 16th century. But I'm also talking to Adrian about a controversial practice which is often

rooted in religious communities. So-called conversion therapy refers to any practice that aims to

change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. I'm Claire Jones and this is the documentary

from the BBC World Service. In this episode of Heart and Soul which explores personal

approaches to spirituality from around the world, I'm in Switzerland to speak to people affected

by so-called conversion therapy. And just to warn you, this programme contains references to suicide.

Now after the ceremony we usually go to the river and it's exactly the river and the place

where this young man Bartolomitessia was drowned. We all take flowers and all two flowers in the river

in his memory.

In Switzerland forms of so-called conversion therapy include prayers and talking therapies

...