We Must Ban LGBTQ Conversion Therapy for Real
New state laws are not working
The fight against LGBTQ “conversion therapy” is speeding up. More and more state bans are passing, but apparent success is less meaningful than many LGBTQ advocates believe. While harm to LGBTQ youth is pervasive and severe, new laws are not much reducing the number of people experiencing the “therapy.”
LGBTQ Conversion Therapy more than doubles suicide risk
New data from the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention agency for LGBTQ young people, exposes the damage experienced by queer youth who undergo conversion therapy. Researchers surveyed more than 34,000 queer young people in the US and found that 42% of those who have undergone conversion therapy had attempted suicide compared to just 17% of those who have not. The numbers were even worse for trans and gender non-conforming youth — 57% of those who had undergone conversion therapy reported attempting suicide.
State legislative bans are increasingly popular
For example, when the New York State Legislature voted to bar licensed mental health professionals from practicing gay “conversion therapy” on minors, they made New York the 15th state to ban the discredited and dangerous practice.
