Obama Supports Ban on Conversion Therapy, Claims It Has 'Devastating Effects'

The Obama administration is supporting a nationwide call to ban a psychiatric treatment known as conversion therapy for minors, saying it shares the "concern about its potentially devastating effects on the lives of transgender as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer youth."

Conversion therapy seeks to help a person change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

The White House issued the statement in response to a petition posted on its website, signed by more than 120,000 people, that seeks to ban conversion therapy nationwide.

It cited the case of 17-year-old Leelah Alcorn who committed suicide last December after her parents pulled her out of school and isolated her to force her to change her gender identity. They also had her attend conversion therapy.

The official White House response was written by senior adviser Valerie Jarrett with a note from President Obama.

"Tonight, somewhere in America, a young person, let's say a young man, will struggle to fall to sleep, wrestling alone with a secret he's held as long as he can remember. Soon, perhaps, he will decide it's time to let that secret out. What happens next depends on him, his family, as well as his friends and his teachers and his community. But it also depends on us – on the kind of society we engender, the kind of future we build," Obama said in a statement.

"The overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates that conversion therapy, especially when it is practiced on young people, is neither medically nor ethically appropriate and can cause substantial harm," the White House said.

"As part of our dedication to protecting America's youth, this Administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors," it added.

The White House cited the American Psychiatric Association's 1998 statement that opposed "any psychiatric treatment, such as 'reparative' or 'conversion' therapy." That A.P.A. statement said "such directed efforts are against fundamental principles of psychoanalytic treatment and often result in substantial psychological pain by reinforcing damaging internalized attitudes."

"Numerous other accredited medical and mental health organizations have echoed this sentiment, including the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Counseling Association," according to the White House.

California, New Jersey and the District of Columbia have all banned professionals from using conversion therapy on minors. However, others have claimed there are positive affects that conversion therapy has had on various patients, and that if used right it can be a legitimate way to help those struggling or confused about their gender identity and sexuality. Indeed, 48 states still allow conversion therapy to take place.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is a strong advocate to ban conversion therapy without further and clear evidence that its benefits outweight its potential harmful affects. He signed the state's legislative ban on conversion therapy, saying at the time, "Exposing children to these health risks without clear evidence of the benefits that outweigh these serious risks is not appropriate."

Last February, a New Jersey Superior Court judge ruled that advertising a service that could change a person's sexuality is fraudulent and violates the state's consumer protection laws, the White House said.

"While a national ban would require congressional action, we are hopeful that the clarity of the evidence combined with the actions taken by these states will lead to broader action that this Administration would support," according to the White House.