Today Missouri took a major first step in protecting LGBTQ youth from the barbaric practice of conversion therapy. Conversion therapists falsely claim be able to change LGBTQ youth into straight and cisgender youth. Prominent professional health associations—including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among numerous others—oppose the use of conversion therapy on youth, calling the practice harmful and ineffective. Missouri is on track to be the 10th state to pass legislation limiting the practice though another 40 states still allow this terrible crisis to continue.
As the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth, The Trevor Project applauds the actions of Rep. Tracy McCreery for sponsoring the critical legislation titled The Youth Mental Health Preservation Act. The Trevor Project frequently receives calls of LGBTQ youth in crisis stemming from their experience with conversion therapy and aims to advocate for the eventual end of state sanctioned conversion therapy across the country via the 50 Bills 50 States campaign.
“This has been such an exciting week with state after state stepping up to the plate to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy.” said Sam Brinton, Head of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project. “With tens of thousands of LGBTQ youth still at risk of the horrors of conversion therapy, it is a proud day to have the Show Me State show us what it means to protect our next generation of amazing LGBTQ youth.”
“We all have a responsibility to stand up and protect the mental and physical health of young people. LGBTQ young people should be reminded that they are beautiful, extraordinary and loved, not being told there is something about them that needs to be ‘cured’ and put at risk by the dangerous practices of conversion therapy.” says Steph Perkins, Executive Director of PROMO. “The State of Missouri has a compelling interest in ensuring that licensed health care providers follow professional standards of care and do not participate in or promote practices that have no scientific basis and significantly harm their clients, especially minors. We urge the Missouri legislature to consider the damages these practices have on young people and families in their districts and pass the Youth Mental Health Preservation Act.”
If you would like to help The Trevor Project protect LGBTQ youth from the horrors of conversion therapy you can text TREVOR to 40649.
If you’d like to learn more about conversion therapy and the nationwide efforts to end it you can go to our 50 Bills 50 States campaign website: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/50-bills-50-states/.
You can also help support this important work by donating here: www.TheTrevorProject.org/give.
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also operates an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, an advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and a research team to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at via chat www.TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting to .
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