Mattéo Garguilo, herald of the fight against conversion therapy

Mattéo Garguilo is finally breathing. Settled comfortably in his armchair, he's swapped the suit he usually wears for a more casual white tank top. His media marathon is coming to an end soon, as are his official meetings with representatives of the European Commission. At just 21 years old, Mattéo achieved a feat in mid-May: collecting more than a million signatures to ban "conversion therapy" in the European Union .

These pseudo-therapies, still in use in some European countries and banned in France in 2022, aim to "rectify" the sexual orientation of homosexuals, most often through the use of physical and psychological violence. The young man has had this project in the back of his mind since he was 16 and watched a documentary on the subject: "I was shocked by the testimonies of those who had experienced this torture. I didn't understand how it was possible to inflict that on someone."

A discovery that is all the more violent when he recalls the moments of doubt he himself experienced before accepting his own homosexuality. "Where I come from, homosexuality is still relatively taboo. I myself briefly sought to know if there was a way to 'move on'. Today, I want no young person to have to wonder if their homosexuality can be cured." It was in high school that he first heard about the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), a procedure that allows any European citizen to bring the European Parliament to debate a chosen subject, by collecting a large number of signatures.

The key is a possible legislative proposal. An idea begins to take root: using this tool to end conversion therapy. But at just 17 years old, the road to getting there seems daunting. He continues his studies, enrolls at Sciences-Po, and meets a friend there, Robin Noël.

"One day, we were talking and I told him about this rather crazy idea of ​​launching an ICE. To my great surprise, he immediately told me that he wanted to be part of it." Together, they created the association ACT, for Against Conversion Therapy, "in order to have a legal basis" necessary for launching an ICE.

The beginnings were tentative. Mattéo and his two friends began by canvassing door-to-door to convince others of the merits of their approach. Through persistence, they garnered the support of associations in eleven member states. And nothing was left to chance. The launch date was finally set for May 17, 2024, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.

A long period of waiting ensued. For nearly a year, signatures struggled to arrive. One week before the deadline, three-quarters were still missing. Desperately, they sought help from the LGBT community. The gamble paid off. Thanks to their support, things took off, and singers Hoshi and Angèle, LGBT icons who together have over 4 million followers, shared the petition on their social media.

Signatures are pouring in in France, but not only there. "The trans-European feminist movement My Voice, My Choice has done an incredible job, we were able to reach signature thresholds in several countries thanks to them!" he continues, excited . Politicians are also sharing their stories: left-wing MPs, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal... And even Emmanuel Macron!

In the final stretch, Mattéo decided to put his life aside: "I didn't sleep much. When I saw the excitement building, I knew I had to go all out. And for the first time in my life, I failed an exam," he laughs. He doesn't regret it, and his involvement is bearing fruit. In five days, the student's petition collected nearly a million signatures. Unheard of for an ICE project led by a small independent association.

On May 17, 2025, the day after the signature collection closed, Mattéo was invited to the Pride parade in Brussels, the executive capital of the European Union. There, he sat on a float overlooking a crowd of more than 40,000 people, a mix of LGBT activists, community members, and ordinary onlookers. Intimidated by the crowd, he mustered up his courage and officially announced the success of his signature campaign. "It was a magical moment ," he recalls, moved. "Perhaps the most beautiful moment of my life."