Support our LGBTQ youth

The White House and other organizations, as well as state governments, have condemned the practice of LGBTQ conversion treatments April 8.

The proposed law, titled Leelah’s Law, came after Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year-old transgender youth from Ohio, committed suicide after being forced into conversion therapy by her parents.

Alcorn wrote a suicide note on her Tumblr blog which explained that her parents had forced her to attend conversion therapy, pulled her out of school and isolated her in an attempt to change her gender identity. Alcorn decided enough was enough, and she walked in front of a semi-truck and died.

The Transgender Human Rights Institute and other organizations were devastated and touched by Alcorn’s message. Petitions were created and signed in hopes of banning conversion therapies.

Currently there are 120,958 signatures for the whitehouse.gov petition titled “Enact Leelah’s Law to ban all LGBTQ+ Conversion Therapy,” and 351,403 signatures for the change.org petition “Enact Leelah’s Law to Ban Transgender Conversion Therapy.”

The Obama administration showing its support for Leelah’s Law is monumental. It is an immense step toward more acceptance for LGBTQ individuals who are ridiculed for their gender identity and sexuality and are discouraged from coming out.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, negative views toward LGBTQ youth lead to an increased rate of violent behaviors, such as bullying, harrassment, assault and suicide and suicidal thoughts.

Leelah’s Law can save a lot of lives. But it is unfortunate that Alcorn herself, and many other LGBTQ youth, did not live to reap the benefits of this law.

What goes on during conversion therapies is unethical and very damaging to the growth of LGBTQ youth.
These therapists brainwash children into thinking that the way they feel about themselves is wrong.

If a child feels they are born a certain way and choose to identify with it, then we should empower that, not erase it. Morally, no one should be telling anyone how to live their lives.

Family support is also very crucial to a child’s well-being and growth, especially among LGBTQ youth. Supporting a child who feels different allows them to not be afraid to grow up in a world that is intent on bringing them down. Family support enables them to feel accepted and to grow positively. We should support our LGBTQ youth because it could decrease the risk of possible suicide, depression and substance abuse among them. Contributing to such support can make a big difference in a LGBTQ child’s life.

Conversion therapy is not the answer. For a parent to put their child through conversion therapy is damaging to their growth and well-being and contributes to an already toxic society that does not empower and accept the LGBTQ community. A parent should not want their child to live in fear.

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