San Juan, Puerto Rico — The governor of Puerto Rico today signed an executive order ending the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ minors on the U.S. Territory. The order will require any institution seeking a license to practice medicine in Puerto Rico to provide assurances that they will not offer or perform conversion therapy.
This executive order will save countless young LGBTQ lives. The Trevor Project knows from research that rates of attempted suicide by LGBT youth whose parents tried to change their sexual orientation were more than double the rate of LGBT youth who reported no attempts to change their orientation. Suicide attempts for LGBT young people who reported both home-based efforts to change their sexual orientation by parents and formal change efforts by therapists and/or religious leaders were three times higher.
“We are grateful for Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló for taking decisive action to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy,” said Sam Brinton, Head of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project. “LGBTQ youth in crisis reach out to us every day, including young people from Puerto Rico, and this action will undoubtedly save young LGBTQ lives.”
