I have two roles I fit into as an anti-conversion therapy advocate, first as a future mental health counselor. I feel I need to mention that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM) took homosexuality out of the list of mental disorders in 1987. This means that it is not considered an illness by any qualified, competent professional in the mental health field. Conversion therapy is also against the Code of Ethics established by the American Psychological Association, where research has shown that not only is the therapy not effective, but it can cause damage to the patient. Therefore, performing conversion therapy as a mental health professional is unethical and not supported by the APA.

My second role is as a 22 year old woman, who was raised in a household where love and acceptance was taught from a young age. This issue isn’t about whether or not conversion therapy is effective, it is about accepting people for who they are and the people they love. Most importantly, the main reasoning behind the idea that homosexuality is sin is because of, in it’s simplest terms, a book written thousands of years ago. It is 2019, and I find it ridiculous that this is still even a discussion. Perhaps if we as people decided to mind our own business, the world would be a better place.