The legislation lifts a prohibition on psychologists treating homosexuality that was established by the Federal Psychology Council in 1999.

The push for the legislation was led by evangelical pastor Marco Feliciano of the Social Christian Party, whose role as head the Commission for Human Rights and Minorities in the lower house of Brazil's Congress was opposed by Brazil’s LGBT community for his extreme homophobia (he once tweeted that AIDS was a ‘gay cancer’).

Feliciano had been attempting to pass his ‘gay cure’ bill for several weeks but previous efforts had been blocked, with the Psychologists’ ouncil calling on commission members to vote against it. Feliciano seized his opportunity to call for a vote on Tuesday, when a low turnout by committee members could ensure its success.

"Today psychology, as wells as other scientific disciplines, recognise that sexual orientation is not a pathology that should be treated, it is not a perversion nor a disorder nor a behavioural disturbance. Since this is the case, we cannot offer a cure, and that is an ethical principle," said council member Huberto Verona, who hoped the bill would not proceed any further and would be blocked by the Senate when it went for a full vote later this month.