Pennsylvania order protects LGBTQIA+ community from conversion therapy

Governor Tom Wolf signed into Executive Order 2022-2 on Tuesday. Conversion therapy. 

Wolfe tweeted on Tuesday that the bill would give federal agencies: ``1) do everything in our power to discourage conversion therapy; 2) actively promote evidence-based treatment for LGBTQIA+ people; and 3) treat LGBTQIA+ people in Pennsylvania. We will update our policies and procedures to better support you. " 

"Conversion therapy is Junk's science-based traumatic practice that actively harms the people he supposedly seeks to treat," Wolf said in a press release. added in his release. “This discriminatory practice has been widely rejected by medical and scientific experts and has been proven to lead to poor mental health among LGBTQIA+ youth. It is to protect against extreme practices.”

To show how harmful conversion therapy can be, the Governor's Office launched The Trevor Project - a non-profit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts in the LGBTQIA+ community. Citing a 2022 study by Percentage of her LGBTQIA+ youth who seriously considered suicide in the past year. The study also showed that those who had experienced victims such asconversion therapywere more than twice as likely to report a suicide attempt as she was. 

Moreover, the costs of conversion therapy are astronomical, according to the Trevor Project study. Taking into account the harm the practice causes, including negative mental health outcomes and substance abuse, conversion therapy costs $9.23 billion annually.

GLAAD defines conversion therapy as an attempt to change a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissionconversion therapy is “in an individual or group setting, or in an institution coined as a ‘conversion’ or ‘reprogramming’ camp, as described by some participants. may be limited. They are subject to punitive measures such as electrocution and physical abuse. 

According to GLAAD, approximately 700,000 adults in the United States are on conversion therapy, and about half were on treatment as children.

According to Executive Order, 25 states and Washington, D.C. have ordinances and laws protecting youth from conversion therapy.

Wolfe's order drew praise from other elected officials, with state legislator Brian Sims writing on Twitter: Ban it in Pennsylvania for his 10 years!Thanks to the Governor for being one step closer to completely eradicating convert abuse in the state.

This order does not prohibit the use of conversion therapy within the state. Wolfe advocated a complete ban on conversion therapy, but said a Republican-led general assembly must pass it CBS Pittsburgh report.

"I want LGBTQIA+ youth and individuals across Pennsylvania to know that I stand with you," Wolf said in a press release. "I look at you, I respect you, I support you."

If you are at risk, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988. 866-488-7386 or text "START" to 678-678.