In 2003, my parents discovered that I  was bisexual. Deeply religious and homophobic, they told me that if I did not agree to "Christian counseling," I would have to quit college and move out of their house. So I agreed. 

The therapy didn't work. I'm still bisexual. What it did do was trigger a deep, suicidal depression that nearly took my life. Before conversion therapy, I'd felt a deep connection with God; after, I became an atheist. It took a long time to reforge my faith, but it has never quite recovered.

It has taken many years and thousands of dollars of therapy to learn how to cope with the trauma of conversion therapy. It is a miracle I am alive and healthy. 

No one else should EVER have to go through what I did. Ban this damaging, unscientific practice. No one deserves this abuse.