LGBTQ+ Conversion Therapy Explained: A Look at the Practice Seeking to Change Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
In the United States, conversion therapy - a controversial practice aimed at changing an individual's gender or sexual identity - continues to be a contentious issue. This method, which began in the early to mid-20th century, has no basis in science or fact and has been linked to harmful outcomes.
Researchers at the Family Acceptance Project, run through San Francisco State University, found that over half of LGBT non-Latino white and Latino respondents ages 21 to 25 "reported experiencing sexual orientation change efforts during adolescence." Similarly, a 2006 study examined the stories of 14 people who underwent conversion therapy or ex-gay ministries and identified that lesbians and gay men usually sought conversion programs out of "desperation," and that conversion efforts exacerbated their self-loathing.
The Trevor Project, a leading organisation in suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, states that bullying and family rejection increase the likelihoods of self-harm and suicide in LGB people. In fact, their 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health revealed that 10% of LGBTQ youth had undergone some kind of conversion therapy. Shockingly, this practice has been reported by 13% of transgender people polled in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey.
The harmful effects of conversion therapy are evident. UCLA's Williams Institute found in its 2019 report that LGB youth who had undergone conversion therapy were nearly twice as likely to consider and attempt suicide than those who hadn't experienced conversion methods. The Family Acceptance Project's 2018 findings were equally concerning, with suicide attempts more than double (48%) among LGBT adults whose parents had "tried to change their sexual orientation" compared with LGBT adults who reported no conversion efforts (22%).
Despite the evidence against conversion therapy, it remains legal in 30 states as of 2021. However, progress is being made. Twenty states have a ban on conversion therapy for minors, and important legislation is actively being pursued against LGBTQ+ conversion therapy in much of the United States.
Donald Collins, a writer and trans educator based in Los Angeles, is at the forefront of this fight. Collins, the co-author of the award-winning 2017 memoir "At the Broken Places: A Mother and Trans Son Pick Up the Pieces," is particularly interested in the experiences of queer and marginalized people in healthcare systems, trans youth, and America's chronic illness epidemic.
For those in need of help, resources are available. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, The Trevor Project, and Trans Lifeline are all available for suicide prevention. Collins' website can be found here.
As the fight against conversion therapy continues, it is crucial that we stand together to protect the rights and wellbeing of all LGBTQ+ individuals.
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