Conversion Therapy and a Survey of 25,896 LGBTQ youth

[Shizuku]

Trigger Warning - this post discusses suicidal feelings.

As the banning of conversion therapy is currently being debated, it might be useful for members of this group to see a survey of 25,896 LGBTQ youth which found that 57% of transgender and non-binary youth who have undergone conversion therapy report a suicide attempt in the last year:

www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2019/?section=Conversion-Therapy-Change-Attempts

If anyone reading this is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please know that suicide is preventable, and that support is available. Here is a link to the Samaritans:

www.samaritans.org/

Fionne Orlander has reported today recieving rather strident messages from someone about allegations of parents reading GC sources and consequently telling their recently trans identified children they suspect ROGD may be involved becoming abusive. https://twitter.com/FionneOrlander/status/1371717074821734401?s=20

Looks like the monitors have decided it is time to get some abusive conversion therapy stories out into the world.

If there has been any then I welcome hearing about it and fighting against it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that their examples of literal abuse will include a lot of parents saying to their children
"I don't believe in gender identity and thus I believe you would be making a grave mistake to damage your body" and
"Binders damage your growing body, you are not allowed to wear one"
"I think you have ROGD not permanent trans identity"

What will follow? It's abusive to say the following?
"No you may not get a tattoo"
"No smoking, if I find cigarettes, you will lose your phone for a week."
"You are 12, you are not allowed to use Tumblr or go on adult websites."
"No you are not allowed to have a 23yo as a boyfriend when you are 14."
"You are 11, I will check your phone and you'll be in trouble with me if you have been acting inappropriately or accessing inappropriate material for a child"

Good Lord! that is appalling bullying of Ms Orlander, who is a bit of a transheroine. (Uses male loos, wears lovely dresses).

That is horrific bullying of Fionne. And seemingly obvious whose doing it.

@Shizuku

I've had a quick skim. Still don't see any science being posted that suggests that conversion therapy is either harmless or beneficial to trans people rather than harmful, so I'm going to conclude that we are all in agreement that the best science we have suggests it is harmful and that a ban on conversion therapy for trans people should be included in upcoming legislation.

I’ve had a quick skim too. You still haven’t explained who is forcing people to behave in a gender conforming way, unless it’s people like Brandon Boulware.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting his behaviour was acceptable, particularly not on this site.

Oh no. Those are horrific threats to Fionne.

But look at the tweet Femme Loves posted giving another example. femme love’s tweet is from one of the recent visitors to this site.

The person sending those messages to Fionne is the same person I remembered earlier in the thread who started a thread asking for “evidence of the GC argument” which was similar in tone to this one.

Oh, I didn't realise they we one of our recent visitors! Well.

I am sad that this happened to Fionne.

I am glad that she put the DMs out into the public domain.

The sterilising effect of sunlight.

It is kind of a shame I oppose the police misuse of non-crime hate incidents to log offence felt by people not directly involved in an altercation. If I did approve then I would report this.

Tweet Replying to
FionneOrlander
''If this person has genuine evidence of child abuse and is withholding that from the authorities, is that not a crime in itself?''

It must have been quite shocking to see those messages, but Fionne dealt with it very coolly indeed!

I think I would report these as attempted blackmail or something. Surely they don't come under 'legal' in anyone's book?

It's surreal. A parent of a kid who suddenly says they're trans checks out ROGD.

And a TRA is blaming Fionne Orlander?

The desperation to deny ROGD is pretty pointless, imo. Clinics everywhere are overwhelmed by it.

I hate to bump this thread, but seeing as it's the place those messages were discussed...

Jesse Singal is now publicising those messages (as a counterpoint to the accusations coming from a bunch of TRAs about him), and Glenn Greenwald is also chiming in.

Glenn's getting increasingly fed up with the nonsense.

@Voteinvain

Can someone tell me whether expressing dismay that their child wants to have a double mastectomy, and having lots of discussion with that child to ascertain whether this is the answer, or whether anything else is going on (which might also account for their ED and self-harm which started precisely at the onset of puberty and after their father announced that he was leaving the family home to set up life with another woman) That’s a hypothetical scenario by the way but do you get what I’m getting? Does it mean any thoughtful, gentle exploration of their over all mental health before prescribing hormone blockers or T?

Because if that’s what they mean by ‘conversion therapy’ when it comes to Transgender aspects of the Bill then that’s outrageous and dangerous. And how does one convert an ‘asexual’ person? They appear to be prominent in this Lobbying to get the ban.In the case of my children I think any parent would let their child work that one out for themselves. If they don’t want to have sex or feel no sexual attraction that’s their business - if this involves them wanting hormones and surgery I’d certainly want to be able to discuss and explore this.

It’s very confusing. I might write to Liz Truss and ask her what the definition of ‘conversion therapy’ is. It’s down to definition and language again isn’t it. We need to be singing from the same song sheet.

I understand your first paragraph exactly. And I expect I will get trolled for it so I have not put up my own questions. I had to join an American Facebook group to get some help and understanding for my child.

Sorry to hear this LipstickLou - sad that you feel you can’t get the help and support you need in the U.K.