Regardless of how individuals who are responding with comments are framing the argument for or against, very few, if any of them actually have first-hand experience with gender identity and sexual identity issues. Medical professionals and therapists, unless specialty trained (in itself is still a limited count of individuals in the US who would qualify), receive little to no training on these issues in their career, and often, even upon commencing practice, are not updating or refreshing their knowledge. 

Religious and social institutions, often titled with “Rights” or “Concerned” are actually far from interested in protecting actual rights or concerns of those who they want to impose their way of thought or, specifically, beliefs upon. Gender and sexual preference variance from what is considered the binary, or “normal” (as these groups would like to say), has existed long before their groups have existed. It’s science, it’s nature to have these variations, and to force some conversion therapy to try to convince someone otherwise, regardless of their age, is malpractice and harmful. Animals form a preference in-utero, bathed in a collection of chemicals and hormones in the mother’s womb, about what they like, don’t like and will often conform to those early preferences as they mature.

The same groups here purporting that conversion therapy is a real thing and has results are the same ones who weigh on the side of “nurture” in the “nature vs. nurture” argument that will say somebody born into poverty will be a drain on society and not contribute back to it as much as somebody born into a well-to-do family. As we have seen and have documented, that is bunk. There’s no “pray away the gay” (or “trans”), you have a better chance of wrecking a child’s psyche in a worse way by allowing this than the typical high-pressure tactics of helicopter parents that bring this up as a way to mold their brood into the next All-American Superstar, but usually results in an unhappy and unstable adult who is breaking under the constant demands of family and society.

Allowing kids to explore gender variance and sexual preference is natural, it’s historic, and it’s healthy. It helps a brain to mature, accept different input, and evaluate conflicting ideas and challenges. Permitting the imposition of a belief or desire for a change because a parent or guardian is afraid or isn’t aligned to being open-minded and mature is just transposing their own fears and uncertainty on impressionable children.

I’ve worked and lived with friends and family who are from all walks of life, gender variances, and sexual preferences… they are the most valued people that am proud to have in my circle. They are often happy and well-adjusted, and are accepting of the world, even of those who would be happy at their non-existence. 

Please, do not allow conversion therapy to be approved or written into guidance for Virginia’s medical professionals, because it’s not science, it’s not natural and it’s not real.