There aren’t many LGBT issues that President Obama hasn’t touched on during his tenure. Now he’s tackling one of the few that remain. Now his Administration is going on record against conversion therapy, the pernicious practice of trying make LGBT teens straight.
In a statement posted on the White House website, senior Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett came out in favor of laws that would make it illegal to force LGBT youth to undergo the scientifically discredited treatment.
“We share your concern about [conversion therapy’s] potentially devastating effects on the lives of transgender as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer youth,” the statement reads. “As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors.”
The statement was prompted specifically by the suicide of Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year old transgender teen who threw herself in front of a truck during the Christmas holidays last year. Alcorn left a heartbreaking note on Facebook, in which she recounted how her parents turned against her and forced her to go to Christian therapists in an attempt to “cure” her.
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Leelah wrote that when she was 14, she told her mom she was transgender. “She reacted extremely negatively, telling me that it was a phase, that I would never truly be a girl, that God doesn’t make mistakes, that I am wrong,” Leelah said. “If you are reading this, parents, please don’t tell this to your kids. Even if you are Christian or are against transgender people don’t ever say that to someone, especially your kid. That won’t do anything but make them hate them self. That’s exactly what it did to me.”
The administration’s statement came in direct response to an online petition on the White House website that honored Leelah. Jarrett told The New York Times that Leelah’s case wasn’t an isolated one.
“It was tragic, but I will tell you, unfortunately, she has a lot of company,” Jarrett said. “It’s not the story of one young person. It is the story of countless young people who have been subjected to this.”
Indeed, it’s all too easy to find example after example of LGBT youth subjected to harmful and destructive treatment, some of which have fatal consequences.
So far two states–California and New Jersey–and the District of Columbia have laws that ban conversion therapy for minors. Eighteen states have seen legislation introduced this year.
Chris Mommaerts
So sad
Darryl Moir
America is fucked up and will get the nuke, just a matter of time.
TransParency_
“…the pernicious practice of trying make LGBT teens straight.”. You’d better not be implying Leela was gay. SHE WAS A STRAIGHT YOUNG WOMAN!!!. #ciscentrism
Xzamilio
I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to not have your body line up with your gender identity. And then to have such fundamentalist parents who are so hell-driven on remaining in the iron age. Is it all religion? Of course not… Leelah’s ordeal seemed more of fear and ignorance than anything else, and the religion was just an easy out for her parents.
Xzamilio
Sigh… another one. I just saw this on HuffPost
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/09/taylor-alesena-death_n_7033812.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000050
polarisfashion
There needs to be a nationwide ban on conversation therapy. It does nothing but make LGBTQ youth hate themselves. How many more suicides is it going to take to make this madness stop?
Giancarlo85
Where are all the right wingers, bible thumpers and Republican ass kissers?
This exgay nonsense has gone on long enough. Make it federally illegal. Imprison any fake doctor that pushes it.
TransParency_
@Giancarlo85: She was NOT gay. She was a HETEROSEXUAL WOMAN. Try NOT being ciscentric for a change.
Giancarlo85
@TransParency_: You’re an idiot. I was addressing ex-gay therapy. I don’t care what “ex-gay therapy” applies towards. It’s stupid shit that needs to be banned. Either learn how to read you fucking troll, or don’t post at all.
By the way, I’m androgynous and I do NOT subscribe to ANY gender label. So piss off!
Clark35
@polarisfashion: very true.
Danny Severino
Why doesn’t someone just bomb the fucking Americans ..they cause the problems in the first place..life would be so peaceful if I’d never hear the word “American”
JamesTheHunk
So sad! 🙁
Realitycheck
@Darryl Moir:
Your comment has been reported to the FBI as possible terrorist activity
Realitycheck
@Danny Severino:
You have beer reported to the FBI as possible terrorist activity.
Giancarlo85
@Danny Severino: Because most people in the US do support these right wing assholes. Please don’t make threats on here.
onthemark
@TransParency_: You should look into getting a visa for a trip to IRAN! They totally agree with you over there. You’d like it there.
NJjoe
This shit has to be stopped and stopped now! How many children is it going to take to rid of the perversion of conversion therapy? This notion that you can changed is hogwash bullshit. My heart goes out to these youngsters and their families. ;(
Clark35
very sad this is another Trans kid who took his or her own life.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/transgender-teen-who-spoke-on-youtube-of-bullying-takes-her-own-life/ar-AAaFtAG?
Mary Ringenbach Tate
I cried when I heard this. When do we “grow up” & acknowledge freedom for ALL people!?
AtticusBennett
It’s an uphill battle, and i wholly blame the churches for this.
I was having a most-depression argument with this insane small-town ontario bigot at a rally, and he kept going on and on about “being gay is a sin! sodom! it’s a sin! you’re going to hell!” (at, uh, an event to prevent LGBT youth suicides – a safe-schools initiative)
he’s a father of four. i pointed out that being anti-LGBT will not make your kids straight, and won’t ensure any aren’t transgender. he insisted, as they do, that it’s a choice. i tried to make it as clear as possible: thinking it’s a choice, thinking it’s a sin, thinking you “go to hell” for being it, is the very thing that results in LGBT youth committing suicide.
i told him to look at his four kids, and realize that any of them could be gay, or transgender. and that as long as he keeps promoting this ideology, he runs a very real risk of losing his child to suicide.
know what his reply was? “Stop threatening my kids!”
right. because me not wanting him to drive his kids to suicide is totes threatening them. riiiiiight.
but that’s what we’re up against. people who ignore logic, reason and facts and cling to religiously-fueled lies.
at the event, in which NUMEROUS cases of LGBT suicide were being mentioned he just kept saying “GAY AGENDA! PROPAGANDA!”
dude will likely bury a son.
Realitycheck
@NJjoe:
Bravo, but only the children are the victims, what kind of parents puts
a child in that kind of therapy, where is the love, where is the logic?
I hope President Obama will succeed with hi efforts to make conversion
therapy illegal, few judges have already ruined on to on a case by case,
but we need a federal law or the supreme court to rule on this.
silveroracle
Conversion therapy is so wrong.
You are who you are and your sexuality is your sexuality.
aliengod
Gay conversion therapy is wrong. But I’m not sure how this kid has been elevated to hero status. He selfishly jumped in front of a truck and undoubtedly mentally scarred the driver for life. He’s certainly no hero!
Bauhaus
@aliengod:
Just shut-up and go away, troll. You’re a disgusting creature.
NJjoe
@Realitycheck:
I agree regarding the parents. Apes take better care of their young. I hope to God they don’t have any other children!
@aliengod: No compassion. Your comment reflects your thoughts, you’re a pathetic alien.
Captain Obvious
I don’t understand why people can’t empathize with parents even slightly. I’ve read that the parents of Leelah have been attacked by social media online and received death threats and more.
At the end of the day had Leelah given it time they may have come around(not like they’d have much choice), they didn’t kick her out as far as I know.
My parents were vehemently anti-gay when I was younger, even through part of my 20s, but now they’re extremely supportive.
It takes time and it’s not fair to attack parents based on their initial reaction. I can see a teenager thinking it’s the end of the world, but I don’t understand why adults would go along with it.
Who else would like to be held to their every word and never be allowed to evolve into someone more understanding down the line?
She was also THEIR child, they lost a child, we’ll hopefully never know how that feels. I’m sure they regret everything they did, yet they’re being browbeaten with her death by every media outlet.
I don’t understand how people don’t understand that compassion and empathy works both ways. We can’t always be on the defensive with an “us vs them” attitude, it shuts off the lines of communication, and doesn’t promote change.
People grow and evolve everyday and they deserve a chance to. You can’t expect everyone to have a positive reaction to your coming out… that includes your parents.
I’m not blaming Leelah, she was a teen. But the pain her parents will live with for the rest of their lives over a miscommunication must be unbearable to live with. They weren’t given a chance to come around. Suicide is not the answer.
We need to be teaching LGBT youth to give their parents a chance to come around and yes if you choose to come out as a teen EASE THEM INTO IT because they can kick you out of their house in a kneejerk reaction.
People so easily forget that teens will argue and shout their point till they “get what they want” which angers the parents into an “it’s my house” reaction. Not every parent hates their own child, most will change almost immediately when they realize they could lose their child. Teens need to be educated on how to come out in a way that gives their parents a chance to come around if they aren’t immediately accepting. And always have a place to stay if they kneejerk kick you out of their house… or WAIT until college!
We adults should stop lazily saying “it gets better” and throwing nice lives in the faces of struggling kids. Instead we should give them a how-to in case they live in rural areas that aren’t so easily accepting.
As someone who grew up in and still lives in a rural area it’s not all puppies and rainbows all over America just because the right to marry is being won in most states. LGBTs of all ages need assistance and hiding in a gay ghetto is not the answer.
If anything gay people should be moving to rural suburban areas to promote change, hiding is the total opposite of what many claim to be doing… but that’s all they’re doing in the city.
Giancarlo85
@Captain Obvious: You’re one ignorant man who has little understanding of what trans people go through. Why should we have any understanding with the parents who hurt her in such a harsh way?
Yes, she was their child, but they couldn’t even be their for their own kid. And no, you’re quite wrong… some never grow and learn. Some never really have any understanding and will never accept LGBTQQI people. Ever. This is just the reality of the situation.
I’ve seen stupid shit you have posted, but this really tops it all. This wasn’t simply about a “miscommunication”. This was about the parents disowning their own kid and not wanting anything to do with them.
You’re not about teaching LGBT youth anything and you’re basically allowing the unaccepting bad behavior in this country to continue with your complacency. And gay people often move to cities for the same reason other people move to cities… to find work. There aren’t any worthy jobs in rural areas. And many of us don’t like the commute going from suburbia to work in urban areas.
This doesn’t have anything to do with hiding. Want to know why I live in a city? It has nothing to do with me being scared about some Joe Six Pack redneck in Alabama… it has to do with quality work and quality living being located in cities. California is a stark reminder of why it’s better to live in urban areas. Counties like Imperial and Shasta county have no work and unemployment rates topping 15% in some cases.
So the reason I live in a city, like many other gay and straight people has to do with work.
Captain Obvious
@Giancarlo85: More childish insults from you, won’t be reading them. Thanks for wasting your time, baby. <3
Giancarlo85
@Captain Obvious: Fine. Considering you can’t put together a coherent argument, asshole… I don’t know why I wasted my time writing that to the pile of bullshit you wrote.
I guess I should know better before responding to someone who can’t defend his own argument.
TemptyK
I’ve never understood and will possibly NEVER understand the whole “transgender” thing!
Captain Obvious
@Giancarlo85: Says the kid who can’t stop insulting people and crying because mommy and daddy never loved him. Get a life lol.
AtticusBennett
@Captain Obvious: then you can be the one who moves to the Hick towns.
sure, “take time”, but not too long – here, my mum and dad spell it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDORM_aStOk
AtticusBennett
how about you actually help others, CAPTAIN OBVIOUS – can you provide us all with the URL to your youtube videos with your parents, who were antigay and now aren’t?
rather than telling us this is your story, show us that it’s your story. get yourself on camera, perhaps with your parents (you know, like i’ve done) and talk about your story.
when can we expect to see your video on the internet?
Giancarlo85
@Captain Obvious: My parents love me. And you’re the one that walks around here like a little asshole who insults everyone. You seem to have a serious chip on your shoulder. Maybe go see a therapist.
Funny how this miserable loser has to now go after my family lol.
TemptyK
Saying something is one thing, meaning it is another. I really dislike this holier-than-thou Atticus Bennett dude. He’s so “unstomachable”. He’s so intolerable, I wonder how anyone survives with him around. He always thinks he has all this figured out and what he says goes. He thinks his is always the epitome of perfection. He’s actually worse and 10 times more annoying than all these homophobes, anti-vaxxers, conservative etc. combined. It must be extremely exhausting and downright debilitating being you, man. No one is that starved for attention that they’d need you watching their parents talk. For what? For who? Fuck outta here with that sh!t! You always speak of how others do this and that because Daddy that and this. You’re clearly speaking from your own experience, and the burning and the yearning you had for Daddy’s acceptance. You might have got it (assuming you did), but the process or journey to it left you damaged.
Giancarlo85
@TemptyK: Wow you seem to know a lot about him. What else would you like to share with us, armchair psychologist?