Blog

“What They’re Doing Is Not Therapy”: Conversion Therapy Survivors Speak Out

Jump to VideoWhen Andrew came out to his parents at fourteen, neither of them responded with acceptance. Instead, they arranged for Andrew to see a therapist who promised to “fix” his sexual orientation.  “If me being straight was how I got their love and acceptance, I was like okay, I guess I’ll go,” he remembers. What Andrew didn’t realize at the time was that he was about to be subjected to a dangerous practice called conversion therapy.  There, Andrew was told that “there was something wrong with me for having these thoughts,” and instructed to suppress them. “I call it…
Press

New Documentary Short Highlights Conversion Therapy Survivor Stories as Supreme Court Considers Decision on State Protections

The Trevor Project’s third episode in the roundtable docuseries, “Sharing Space,” features a moderated discussion between six survivors of conversion therapy January 27, 2026 – Today, The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, released the third episode of “Sharing Space,” a documentary-style roundtable series that features conversations with and about LGBTQ+ young people, moderated by supportive adults and allies. This episode features six LGBTQ+ individuals who have been subjected to the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy, and is moderated by a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist.  While more than…
Conversion Therapy

What is International Day to End Conversion Therapy?

Each year on January 7th, people across the globe observe International Day to End Conversion Therapy (IDECT), sharing a worldwide call to end the dangerous, discredited practice known as ‘conversion therapy.’ What is conversion therapy? Conversion therapy refers to practices that seek to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite the name, these practices are in no way legitimate “therapy,” and they lack any standards or basis in evidence. These practices are rooted in outdated ideas that LGBTQ+ people are “unnatural” or need to be “cured.”  Historically, these practices have involved behavior modification and painful aversive treatments, as well…
Press

The Trevor Project Urges U.S. Supreme Court to Uphold Law Protecting LGBTQ+ Youth from Conversion Therapy

LGBTQ+ youth subjected to conversion practices were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide in the past year. October 7, 2025 – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States hears oral arguments for Chiles v. Salazar – a case that centers on a Colorado state law that prohibits licensed mental health professionals from subjecting youth to dangerous, discredited practices that attempt to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Trevor Project’s CEO, Jaymes Black, released the following statement in response: “It is unimaginable to see fringe practices that have been debunked, discredited, and known to cause harm…
Press

New HHS Report on Health Care for Transgender Youth Includes Dangerous Misinformation, Encourages Conversion Therapy

The new “report” goes against recommendations from every major medical association and calls for subjecting youth to the discredited practice of conversion therapy May 1, 2025 – Today, The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a review of recommendations for transgender health care, based on an executive order issued by the President on January 28, 2025. The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, released the following statement from Casey Pick (she/her), Director of Law and Policy at The Trevor Project in response:  “Every parent wants their child to…
Press

The Trevor Project Condemns New Kentucky Law, Urges Lawmakers to Quit Targeting LGBTQ+ Youth

New law codifies two-part attack on LGBTQ+ residents: undoing the governor’s protections against conversion ‘therapy’ and restricting medical care for transgender people March 24, 2025 – In Kentucky, state lawmakers have passed HB 495 to undo the governor’s statewide protections against the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy” and eliminate the use of Medicaid funds to support essential medical care for transgender and nonbinary people of all ages. The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, released the following statement in response:Statement from Tanner Mobley (he/him), Manager of State Advocacy and…
Press

The Trevor Project Condemns Supreme Court’s Decision to Consider Conversion Therapy Ban Challenge

March 10, 2025 – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States announced that it will hear a challenge to a current Colorado state law that protects young people from conversion therapy, or a range of practices that attempt to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, shared the following statement in response:  Statement from Jaymes Black (they/she/he), CEO of The Trevor Project: “Conversion therapy is not actual therapy. It is a harmful, debunked practice that has been shown to more than double an…
Purple gradient graphic with an solid purple shape of Kentucky.
Advocacy

8 Years of Advocacy: How We Made Strides in Banning Conversion Therapy in Kentucky

Almost eight years later... we did it, y'all. We banned conversion therapy for minors in Kentucky. In September, Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order protecting LGBTQ+ young people from conversion therapy, making Kentucky the latest state to take a stand against this abusive and dangerous practice. As I stood there at the signing ceremony, surrounded by fellow advocates, survivors, and supporters, it felt like the culmination of years of hard work, heartache, and hope. This executive order wasn’t just a piece of paper — it was a lifeline. A declaration that LGBTQ+ young people in Kentucky are no longer…
Illustration of a capital building and an outlined illustration of Pennsylvania.
Blog

A Mental Health Victory: Pennsylvania’s Historic Ban on Conversion Therapy

Tanner Mobley (he/him) Advocacy Associate, Conversion Therapy As Advocacy Campaigns Associate at The Trevor Project, I’m thrilled to share a major victory from our Advocacy Team’s efforts. Over the past several years, I’ve been part of an incredible team working tirelessly to get Pennsylvania’s regulatory boards to adopt statements-of-policy against conversion therapy — dangerous and discredited practices that attempt to change a person’s LGBTQ+ identity.  I want to take you behind the scenes and show you how we turned our vision into a powerful reality. The Urgent Need for Change Our drive to end conversion therapy in Pennsylvania was fueled…