Obama administration report calls for end to conversion therapy
Report concludes that conversion therapy is not effective or appropriate treatment for LGBT and questioning youth
Conversion therapy — also known as “ex-gay” therapy — is not an appropriate therapeutic approach to treating youth who experience feelings of same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria.
That’s the findings of a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), released Thursday. The report is based on experts in the field, who have reviewed existing research, reports and summaries, as well as clinical guidance, on the efficacy of the practice of conversion therapy on minors. The experts included researchers and practitioners in child and adolescent mental health, as well as those with backgrounds in family therapy, ethics, and the psychology of religion.
The report’s major finding is that same-gender sexual orientation and variations in gender identity or expression are part of the normal spectrum of human diversity and do not constitute mental disorders.
The report also finds that existing research on conversion therapy efforts does not support the premise that mental or behavioral health interventions can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Indeed, such interventions are coercive, can be harmful, and should not be part of any treatment for same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria.
The authors of the SAMHSA report also explore alternative ways to discuss sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression with young people. They include information and resources for parents and other adults that detail supportive therapeutic approaches, areas for future research, and existing strategies to end the practice of conversion therapy. Those resources are designed to highlight best practices for helping support LGBT-identifying, questioning or gender non-conforming youth, and which practices, when implemented, can lead to poorer health outcomes and should be avoided.
“When dealing with a sensitive topic such as gender identity or sexual orientation in young people, it is essential that families, educators, caregivers, and providers seek the best available information and advice,” Kana Enomoto, the acting administrator of SAMHSA, said in a statement. “SAMHSA’s report provides this information, as well as resources young people, families and others can use to promote healthy development for all youth.”
The report was welcomed by LGBT rights advocates for both its conclusions and the resources it seeks to provide to adults who interact with LGBT and questioning youth. President Obama has previously expressed support for allowing states to enact their own laws banning the practice of conversion therapy on minors.
“This important new resource discusses appropriate ways to support child and adolescent development and to talk about sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression with young people and their families based on peer-reviewed research, professional guidance and best practices for care of children and adolescents,” said Dr. Caitlin Ryan, director of the Family Acceptance Project, which seeks to reduce physical or mental health risks for LGBT youth, and who helped contribute to the report. “The Family Acceptance Project was delighted to again partner with SAMHSA on contributing to and helping disseminate this important report, which provides accurate information and guidance to providers and families to help them make informed decisions to improve the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents…. This new report provides critical guidance that will help families, and providers and religious leaders to build healthy futures for LGBT and gender diverse children and adolescents.”
The Human Rights Campaign went a step further, taking a swipe at proponents of the practice of conversion therapy.
“Conversion therapy is child abuse, and the Obama Administration has joined our call to ban its practice once and for all,” Chad Griffin, HRC’s president, said in a statement. “This is dangerous junk science that uses fear and shame to tell young people the only way to find love and acceptance is by changing the very nature of who they are. Today’s new health report shows the extensive damage that so-called conversion therapy can cause and why it’s so urgent that we end it in all fifty states.”
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