Friday, April 10, 2015

This week, the Obama Administration announced support for banning so-called conversion therapy practices nationwide. This is an important step for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, as these harmful practices particularly impact the lives of LGBT youth.

And today, our partners at Movement Advancement Project (MAP) have released a new report, LGBT Policy Spotlight: Conversion Therapy Bans, that outlines the harms of so-called conversion therapy and gives an overview of current laws protecting LGBT youth.

According to MAP, California, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. have already passed laws to prevent state licensed mental health professionals from attempting to change the sexual orientation or gender identity/expression of minor patients. Both states and the District based the law on the unanimous consensus of the nation's leading medical and mental health associations, which have determined that such treatments have no scientific basis and put youth at risk of serious harms, including elevated rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide.

Since last year, lawmakers in 23 other states have introduced similar legislation. Currently, 18 states are considering bans, including active legislation in Oregon, Illinois, and Iowa. However, anti-LGBT activists are attempting to secure their ability to engage in harmful conversion therapy practices. Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern recently introduced the so-called "Freedom to Obtain Conversion Therapy Act (HB1598)," which would allow therapists to engage in conversion therapy and protect parents who force their children to undergo such treatment. There is a clear need for a Federal ban on conversion therapy practices. 

Click here to read the report. 

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