Believe it or not, in 2015 the practice of LGBTQ conversion therapy—“efforts to change an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression”—still exists. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has just published a comprehensive report titled “Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth,” which explains the major problems with conversion therapy and encourages legislative action to ban the practice once and for all.
“Conversion therapy perpetuates outdated views of gender roles and identities as well as the negative stereotype that being a sexual or gender minority or identifying as LGBTQ is an abnormal aspect of human development,” the report says. “Most importantly, it may put young people at risk of serious harm.” Currently, only four states—California, New Jersey, Oregon, and Illinois—and Washington, D.C. have banned conversion therapy.
The research is based on three major ideas. First, sexual orientation and gender identities are not abnormal, nor are they indicative of illness or mental disorder. Second, the report delegitimizes conversion therapy as a practice—meaning it just doesn’t work. And lastly, not only does it not work, but causes serious damage to the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ youth.
The report does stress that therapy and mental health services are very important for members of the LGBTQ community—but in a very different way. Youth should be provided with resources to help them better understand that their identities are valid, and to offer a support system. The goal of therapy should be to foster well-being regardless of sexual orientation of gender identity. LGBTQ individuals experience mental health issues at a much higher rate than other demographics, which in many cases is caused by the trauma of conversion therapy.
The study also urges us to continue to take action against discrimination towards the LGBTQ community and continue to push for legislative action against conversion therapy. While it’s encouraging that comprehensive studies are being done that prove different sexual orientations and gender identities are valid, at the same time it almost seems a bit behind on the times. That people are still attempting to change people’s sexual identity through therapy even seems barbaric—isn’t this a conversation that should have happened a long time ago?