Imagine being forced to be a person who you aren’t, changing your identity that you are not comfortable with being, changing your lifestyle and sexuality because others may think differently is the correct way.

What is Conversion Therapy?

This type of therapy is an attempt to change whom sexual orientation, identity of gender and gender expression. There are other terminology; Ex-gay Ministry, sexuality counseling, reparative therapy and (SOCE) sexual orientation change efforts.“ I went to a conversion camp which was a religious based camp that like had a daily schedule, where girls couldn’t bunking with boys, which is kind of weird considering your their because your gay,” says Keana Butterfield Senior SPASH student.

Religion & Conversion Therapy

“One reason why homosexuals are so rarely cured is that they rarely try treatment,” proclaimed a 1965 Time magazine article. “Too many of them actually believe that they are happy and satisfied the way they are.” Butterfield had experienced a type of conversion therapy. She shares “however it was more of a religious camp for the summer to attend to with different expectations, not to be ashamed of their gender identity.”

The Atlantic website claims; “Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, the Christian right poured money and muscle into promoting the message that homosexuality was a curable disorder. It advocated conversion therapy, which promised to turn gay men and women straight. But last week…[when this article was published], when President Obama announced his support for a national ban on such therapies, few voices on the Christian right spoke up in protest.” What were some of these Christians standing up for? Or opposing ?

”There is no credible research that indicates you can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, rather what research does tell us is these so-called change efforts can have devastating impacts on its victims, including increased anxiety, depression, self-hatred, compromised mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide or suicidal thoughts, and many other lifelong psychological and social issues.” Shaneel Shavneel Lal for the Conversion Therapy Action Group claims. The purpose of this kind of “therapy” is hurting others mentally and possibly physically, the effects after are hurting others and families. Research shows no actual scientific approved improvement, just the traumatic causes that occur afterwards. Having actual scientific proof that this type of therapy is unprovided, there’s more evidence that it shows harmful effects with more chronic and permanent psychological issues.

Harmful Effects & Statistics

Studies had shown from San Francisco State University found that the community of the LGBTQ+ that had been rejected by parents or guardians has 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times likely to have a depressive disorder, 3.4 times likely to consume drugs and 3.4 times more likely to be at high risk of AIDS and HIV.

The ages throughout (18-59) who are LGBTQ around 698,000 people in the U.S has received conversion therapy, including about 350,00 of them had been treated as they were adolescents. Across all states, ages through( 13-17) will receive conversion therapy by religious or spiritual advisors before they turn the age of 18.

As of now 2022 conversion therapy is still continued to change ones gender identity/ sexual orientation. Who’s the one to decide whether you should obtain this identity or that identity? Why is this still a problem? These state laws were enacted under republican governors, when will  LGBTQ not be hated against? This is now the time to change for our younger generations to have the acceptance to be themselves.