Action | Unprofessional conduct/conversion therapy |
Stage | NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 8/7/2019 |
Homosexuality was long ago removed as a DSM-diagnosed mental illness. Attempting to change a person's sexual orientation is analogous to changing an introvert to an extrovert, or vice versa.
I work in a psychiatric hospital for children. Many of my students identify as LGBT or have core questions about their gender. A significant factor in adverse mental health situations is sexual identity and the reactions of other people in their lives to that.
It is fortunately rare for my students to havr experienced conversion therapy. But prevention truly is the best medicine. The fewer traumatic situations we subject our children to, the fewer acute mental health situations we will see.
State regulations and professional standards should be aligned as closely as possible. Happily a conversion therapy ban does this while also giving LGBT individuals greater freedom to be who they are.