Legislation to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth under 18 years old was introduced Thursday in the House Health and Welfare Committee.
Rep. John McCrostie
House Bill 483, sponsored by Rep. John McCrostie, received almost unanimous support for a full hearing. It mirrors recent legislation approved in Utah in 2020. Currently, 20 states have outlawed conversion therapy for minors.
McCrostie said conversion therapy is defined as any practice or treatment that seeks to change a patient’s sexual orientation or gender identity. If passed, it would prevent an Idaho licensed mental health professional from utilizing conversion therapy with minors. Conversion therapy is broadly discredited by numerous medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Counseling Association. It also poses high risk for severe depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and suicide.
The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, conducted a study in 2020 that found youth who had undergone conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide. The organization’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health showed that 13% of LGBTQ youth reported being subjected to conversion therapy, with 83% reporting it occurred when they were under age 18. Most were 15 years old at the time.
“Today, we are one step closer to making sure LGBTQ youth in Idaho are protected from this dangerous practice that has led so many young people to take their lives. Idaho’s rate of suicide, 5th highest in the U.S. as of 2020, is 1.5 times higher than the national average — that statistic is similar for Idaho teens as well,” McCrostie said. “By banning conversion therapy for minors, we can prevent suicide and better safeguard our LGBTQ youth, helping put them on the path to future success.”