Research has consistently linked the discredited practice of conversion therapy to increased suicide risk among LGBTQ youth.
March 2, 2022 — The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people, commended the passage of HF 2156 by the Minnesota House Preventive Health Policy Division, a bill that would prohibit licensed mental health professionals from engaging in the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy on minors.
“At a time when we are witnessing unprecedented attacks against LGBTQ youth in statehouses across the country, it is refreshing to see Minnesota lawmakers move forward a bill that actually works to protect them,” said Troy Stevenson (he/him pronouns), Senior Advocacy Campaign Manager at The Trevor Project. “All young people deserve to be loved and respected for who they are, not subjected to dangerous and discredited efforts aimed at changing their sexual orientation or gender identity. We are thankful to these lawmakers for taking action to end the fraud of conversion therapy across the North Star State.”
According to The Trevor Project’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 13% of LGBTQ youth reported being subjected to conversion therapy, with 83% reporting it occurred when they were under age 18. Further, a peer-reviewed study by The Trevor Project’s researchers found that LGBTQ youth who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year.
Conversion therapy is widely opposed by prominent professional medical associations including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. For journalists looking to learn more about how to cover the issue of conversion therapy, here is a guide on best practices.
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.
About The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health 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.
