Argumentative Essay: Banning Conversion Therapy In All 50 States

Conversion therapy is a psychological treatment designed to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity to fit heterosexual or cisgender standards. Some methods of conversion therapy include treating LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) identity as an addiction issue like drugs or alcohol, castration, and electroconvulsive shock therapy. At the moment, conversion therapy is only illegal in 5 states (Human Rights Campaign). There have been several scientific studies that prove conversion therapy does not do anything except slowly deteriorate a person from the inside out. It has also been scientifically proven that our sexuality is genetic, not a choice. Therefore, one cannot alter these preferences with electricity, surgery, etc. Governments should ban conversion therapy in all 50 states because it is unethical and harmful.

The breaking down process takes around 6 months and usually includes inhumane tactics to “cure” the homosexuality. 27 in 50 teens going through conversion therapy kill themselves before the first 6 months is up. After the break down phase, the doctors try to rebuild the person. Conversion therapy re-teaches a person everything; how to think, act, dress, and eat. These treatments often also teach other things such as “internalized homophobia and all of its correlates, such as self hatred, depression, suicidality, and drug abuse” (Halgin 300). Overwhelming statistics show that a teenager who has gone through conversion therapy is 8 times more likely to attempt suicide, 6 times more likely to suffer from high levels of depression, 3 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3 more likely to be at higher risk for AIDS/HIV (Human Rights