Abstract
Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), also known as conversion therapy, is an umbrella term that comprises several different techniques and practices that aim to «help» people with «unwanted same-sex attraction». The phenomenon poses a threat to a range of different human rights and therefore several US states have banned the practice. Also, as this thesis was being written, Norwegian legislators were set to discuss a potential ban on the practice in Norway. The thesis looks at the phenomenon from a human rights perspective, focusing on sexual freedom as the right to non-discrimination on one hand, and religious freedom as the freedom of religion and conscience on the other. It especially addresses what happens when the morality of human rights clash with the morality of a religious belief system, with a focus on conservative Christians that believe homosexuality is a sin. The thesis finds that both sexual and religious freedom are at stake as Norwegian legislators discuss a potential ban on SOCE and explains how. By interviewing seven young conservative Christians in Norway the thesis describes why this group feel their religious freedom is threatened by a potential ban on SOCE and explores how they define themselves and sexual minorities as they argue their case. The thesis finds that these young conservative Christians see sexual preferences as less important for one’s identity than religious belief. In that way it makes sense for them that some might want to live their lives according to their religious belief and not according to their sexual preferences – and they are willing to defend their right to do so.