Banning Conversion Therapy
Conversion therapy is dangerous, discredited, and ineffective.
Have you heard of “conversion therapy”? These are practices aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation* or gender identity or expression.** Conversion therapy is dangerous and discredited. It has not been proven effective by any scientific study or medical experts.
Sam turned painful experiences with conversion therapy into national advocacy on the national level.
The Mental Health Impact of Conversion Therapy
Embedded within conversion therapy practices are social prejudices and homophobia. Youth who are subjected to it — most are younger than age 18 — experience feelings of self-hatred and rejection. Conversion therapy can lead to risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
If you are not sure if your state bans conversion therapy, learn more below. Then, educate your policy-makers and your community about why this matters.
*Sexual orientation is about who we’re emotionally, physically and romantically attracted to
** Gender identity is about how we see ourselves in terms of gender
How are you feeling after reading this?
- 🤷
- 😊
- 💯
- 😔
- 😠
- 🤔
Key Stats
- 13% of LGBTQ youth report being subjected to conversion therapy; 83% of those subjected to conversion therapy report it occurred when they were under age 18. [source]
- LGBTQ youth who were subjected to conversion therapy reported more than twice the rate of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who were not. [source]
- Transgender and nonbinary youth reported being subjected to conversion therapy at twice the rate of cisgender LGBQ youth. [source]
Resources
Take Action Now
Explore Related Action Area
Continue your engagement by learning more about and taking action on related issues.
LGBTQ Health & Well-being
How discrimination, housing insecurity, and non-gender-affirming care impact mental health.
Anti-LGBTQ Policies and Laws
Even just within the past year, most LGBTQ youth have faced discrimination.
Banning Conversion Therapy
Conversion therapy is dangerous, discredited, and ineffective.
Housing Insecurity for LGBTQ Youth
40% of youth who experience homelessness identify as LGBTQ.
Gender-Affirming Care
56% of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.
