Stating that there was no evidence to support the effectiveness of this intervention in regards to changing sexual orientation or gender identity, and that it may be potentially harmful, the authors of the report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) say it’s a practice that should be prohibited, according to U.S. News and World Report.
“Efforts should be taken to end the practice of conversion therapy,” the report stated.
Four states and the District of Columbia have already banned conversion therapy. Another 21 states and the U.S. Congress are also considering banning the controversial practice. SAMHSA report authors say that “federal regulatory action” may be utilized in the future to restrict the use of this therapy for minors.
Obama called for an end to conversion therapies aimed at “repairing” gay, lesbian, and transgender youth after the tragic death of Leelah Alcorn, who committed suicide last December. In an online suicide note she wrote that religious therapists had tried to convert her back to being a boy, The New York Times reports.
“My mom started taking me to a therapist, but would only take me to Christian therapists, (who were all very biased) so I never actually got the therapy I needed to cure me of my depression,” Alcorn wrote. “I only got more Christians telling me that I was selfish and wrong and that I should look to God for help” CNN reports.
Alcorn committed suicide by throwing herself in front of a tractor-trailer rig on Dec. 28, 2014.
Conversion therapy, which is also known as “reparative” or “sexual reorientation” therapy, is a dangerous practice, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reports, noting that it “purports to change a person’s sexual orientation, literally ‘converting’ them from gay to straight.”
The practice sometimes includes violent role play, reenacting past abuses, and exercises that may involve nudity and intimate touching. It’s been discredited by all major American medical, psychiatric, psychological, and professional counseling organizations, the SPLC noted, and continued:
“When the disturbing details are exposed to the light of day, it’s clear that this practice based on junk science is worse that [sic] snake oil: Not only does it not work, it’s harmful to LGBT people and their families. People who have undergone conversion therapy have reported increased anxiety, depression, and in some cases, suicidal ideation. It can also strain family relationships, because practitioners frequently blame a parent for their child’s sexual orientation.”
Judith Glassgold, government relations director with the American Psychological Association (APA) also noted that conversion therapy can trigger depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and harm self-esteem. It can also lead to substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors, she said, according to Reuters.
SAMHSA and the APA jointly call for greater acceptance, support, and understanding on the part of parents, guardians, families, friends, and medical professionals, The Advocate reports, noting that the report states that “these youngsters should be ‘supported in their right to explore, define, and articulate their own identity.'”
In writing the report, behavioral health experts contributed their findings after carefully reviewing existing research, professional health association reports and summaries along with expert clinical guidance.
