Rep. John McCrostie, D-Garden City, introduced House Bill 52 Wednsday to protect LGBTQ young people from the harmful practice of conversion therapy.
Rep. John McCrostie
Several major health organizations have discredited conversion therapy. According to the Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, individuals under 18 who had undergone conversion therapy attempted suicide at more than twice the rate as those who had not. In 2018, Idaho’s suicide rate was the fifth highest in the nation.
Currently, conversion therapy has been banned in 20 U.S. states, including the neighboring states of Utah, Washington and Oregon.
“By becoming the next state to ban conversion therapy, Idaho can protect our citizens and prevent suicide,” McCrostie said following the introduction.