Ending conversion therapy in every state

The Trevor Project is invested in ending conversion therapy in every state because lesbian, gay and bisexual youth from highly rejecting families are more than eight times more likely to attempt suicide than youth from accepting families.

50 Bills 50 States is the largest campaign in the world endeavoring to protect LGBTQ+ youth from conversion therapy. Ending conversion therapy in every state can be attained by working through legislation, litigation and public education in every state.

The Trevor Project partners with mental health associations, youth organizations, LGBTQ+ groups, student clubs, faith communities, and educational institutions in every state to promote the submission and passage of meaningful legislation in their legislature.

Then, they work with lawmakers in generating policy, providing survivor testimony and demonstrating public support. The organization also fights tirelessly to defend any progress in the courts.

Not every bill submission will culminate in its passage, but in addition to the value of incremental progress, a bill’s submission provokes a dialogue on conversion therapy within the state, and that signals to LGBTQ+ youth that a fight is being waged on their behalf.

LGBTQ+ youth should never be forced to try to change something as beautiful as who they love or who they are. After all, no one can change what was never something they chose.

According to a study by the Williams Institute, nearly 700,000 adults in the country have received conversion therapy at some point, including about 350,000 who received the treatment as adolescents. The Williams Institute is a think tank on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy at U.C.L.A

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth.

Copyright The Gayly – January 10, 2019 @ 7:30 a.m. CST.