Cuyahoga County has recently made headlines as the first Ohio county to ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors and “vulnerable adults.” Conversion therapy, also known as “reparative therapy” or “gay cure therapy,” is the practice of attempting to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Methods often include talk therapy or prayers, but sometimes can turn intense and abusive, with tactics such as exorcism, starvation and physical violence also being used.
These tactics have detrimental effects on LGBTQ+ youth, with the “American Journal of Public Health” finding that young people who have undergone conversion therapy are twice as likely to report having attempted suicide. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are not prone to suicide or suicidal thoughts due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, but are categorized as higher risk because of the way they are mistreated by society. Overall, LGBTQ+ individuals are four times as likely to attempt suicide than their fellow colleagues and classmates.
Why pass the ban now? Brandon West, who previously led a successful conversion therapy ban in Lorain, is credited as the leader of the Cuyahoga County campaign to ban conversion therapy. West spoke to The Carroll News about his activism and inspirations. West said, “Obviously, being a part of the community myself, I kind of knew what conversion therapy was and how dangerous it was and the harm it causes.” He ties his inspiration to begin advocacy work to reading a specific academic article. West said, “The article was basically about… how banning conversion therapy not only is a preventative measure, but it can also bring down… the risk of youth suicide.”
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased awareness toward mental health and suicide prevention. It’s no secret that today’s social media and technology has led to increased feelings of anxiety, depression and negative body image.
These issues are often magnified for LGBTQ+ youth, as many experience isolation due to their identities. Most schools, workplaces, and other extracurricular activities make tremendous efforts to provide resources for their members (regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity) and encourage individuals to engage in counseling and healthy coping mechanisms, but West believes that more still needs to be done.
West said, “[The article] resonated with me a lot, and I began researching quite a bit… I found out Ohio ranks fifth in the nation for conversion therapy practices, which kind of boggled my mind.” Bothered by this statistic, West sought out change. While West noted he hadn’t observed the negative effects of conversion therapy in his own community, he said the impact that the conversion therapy ban had was tremendous.
West stated, “After Lorain city passed their ban, I got dozens and dozens of messages saying that either their kid or they themselves feel comfortable now… to get mental health therapy… regular talk therapy, knowing that conversion therapy being such a coercive practice was banned.”
West says his advocacy work isn’t finished yet. West has received many messages from people asking how they can be involved in passing bans on conversion therapy in other parts of Ohio and the United States. Next, West hopes to pass a ban on conversion therapy in Summit County.
Phyllis Harris, Executive Director of the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, called the ban “more than a policy win.” Harris said, “This new ordinance makes it clear: licensed providers cannot attempt to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. That practice is abusive, ineffective, and it has no place here … it’s a step toward ensuring that everyone in Northeast Ohio can live their lives as their authentic selves, joyfully and unapologetically.”
