I have met many in the LGBT community that have been subjected to such treatment. Some coped with alchohol and drugs, others require continuing therapy just to cope with what they went through. Much of these practices used rejection, shame, and psychological abuse to force them when they were young people to try and change who they are. Needless to say it did not work.

This guidance protects young people from state-licensed therapists in Virginia who falsely claim to parents and youth that being LGBTQ is a mental illness, and therefore taking advantage of parents fears and harming vulnerable youth who have no say in the matter.

Please ban conversion therapy. It is oudated, malicious, and dangerous practice. It causes many of the patients (often who were forced by others to go to such treatment) to suffer many ill effects such as depression, anxiety, and even suicide.