In April, the Obama administration supported a petition to stop the nationwide practice of 'conversion therapy' among LGBTQ youth. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a report to scientifically back up the claim that the practice is dangerous.
Five states have already banned the practice of conversion therapy among minors and adults. Twenty-one other states are considering adopting the same prohibition.
SAMHSA's report "Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting And Affirming LGBTQ Youth" was released on Oct. 15 at the SAMHSA website. Apart from scientific findings, the SAMHSA report also includes guidelines for educators, communities and families to help them understand LGBTQ youth. LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign embraced the SAMHSA report and said it should lead to a prompt ban across all 50 states.
Key findings include:
- Same-gender sexual orientation along with gender expression and gender identity are fragments in a normal range of human diversity. Any variations should not be misconstrued as a mental disorder.
- There is no credible and scientific evidence supporting conversion therapy. Experts said that "conversion therapy" is often conducted by unlicensed practitioners who have religious and not medical training.
- There is no research that supports the hypothesis that interventions - both mental and behavioral - can change sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Interventions with a fixed goal are both strong and dangerous, especially those that deal with altering sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity. Experts agreed that these interventions should not be part of a behavioral treatment.
"Conversion therapies or other efforts to change sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression are not effective, reinforce harmful gender stereotypes and are not appropriate mental health treatments," added SAMHSA's special expert on LGBT affairs Elliot Kennedy.
Conversion therapy can cause young people serious and even life-threatening harms such as suicidal thoughts. Judith Glassgold, the government relations director for the American Psychological Association, expressed how dangerous it could be to young people, as it can lead to anxiety, depression and even morbid thoughts. Glassgold added that it can also lead to unsafe sexual behaviors and substance abuse as well as injure a young person's self-esteem.
In 2014, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) launched the #BornPerfect campaign to stop the practice of conversion therapy in the United States. One of NCLR's goals is to raise awareness about the dangers of conversion therapies among LBGTQ youths.
