Don’t spend money on “sexual orientation conversion” or “gay conversion therapy,” and don’t send your family members to such programs.

28. Don’t spend money on “sexual orientation conversion” or “gay conversion therapy,” and don’t send your family members to such programs.

Cost: No cost at all. What you save is the money you would otherwise spend on conversion clinics, counseling centers, and the revenue generated by these “conversion” services. The real challenge is getting family members to accept that this isn’t necessary.

In plain terms: After reviewing relevant research, an expert panel from the American Psychological Association concluded that these conversion efforts cannot change a person’s sexual orientation and may actually cause harm. In one U.S. survey, nearly 90% of people who had undergone conversion therapy reported having suicidal thoughts. In China, a psychiatric hospital forcibly admitted a man under the label of “sexual preference disorder”; a court later ruled this a violation of his rights and ordered the hospital to pay him 5,000 yuan in compensation.

Benefit: The 2009 APA task force report states that attempts to change sexual orientation “are unlikely to succeed and carry a certain risk of harm.” It also advises both parents and children to avoid any mandatory or inpatient conversion programs for minors. A nationwide U.S. survey of 1,518 LGBTQ+ adults found that about 7% had undergone conversion therapy; 80% of them were referred by religious figures. After adjusting for age and childhood trauma, people who had undergone conversion therapy had a 92% higher odds of having had suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.01–3.64). Their odds of having planned a suicide attempt were 75% higher (OR 1.75, 1.01–3.06), and their odds of attempting suicide without serious injury were 88% higher (OR 1.88, 1.01–3.50). Another study of 245 young adults aged 21–25 found that 22% of those who had never undergone conversion therapy attempted suicide; this figure rose to 48.1% among those whose parents tried to change their orientation, and to 62.8% among those whose parents sent them to therapists or religious figures for conversion. WHO’s ICD-10 classification explicitly states that “sexual orientation itself is not considered a disorder.” In 2017, a court in Zhumadian, Henan Province, ruled that a psychiatric hospital had violated a man’s rights by forcibly admitting him under the “sexual preference disorder” label; the court noted that his condition was mild and he showed no suicidal or violent tendencies, so he did not meet criteria for mandatory treatment. The court ordered the hospital to issue a public apology and pay 5,000 yuan in compensation for emotional distress (U.S. and China).

Evidence grade: B

Sources: American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation (2009). Report of the Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. <https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/therapeutic-response.pdf>; Blosnich JR, Henderson ER, Coulter RWS, Goldbach JT, Meyer IH. (2020). Sexual Orientation Change Efforts, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Suicide Ideation and Attempt Among Sexual Minority Adults, United States, 2016–2018. American Journal of Public Health, 110(7), 1024–1030. <https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305637>; Ryan C, Toomey RB, Diaz RM, Russell ST. (2020). Parent-Initiated Sexual Orientation Change Efforts With LGBT Adolescents: Implications for Young Adult Mental Health and Adjustment. Journal of Homosexuality, 67(2), 159–173. <https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1538407>; World Health Organization. ICD-10 Version:2019, F66 Psychological and behavioral disorders associated with sexual development and orientation. <https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en#/F66>; National People’s Congress Standing Committee (revised in 2018). Mental Health Law (Articles 23, 30, 78). <https://flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=2c909fdd678bf17901678bf7448a066d>; Reprinted on the website of the People’s Procuratorate of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, The Beijing News (2017). Final hearing on Zhumadian “gay forced treatment case”. <http://www.gx.jcy.gov.cn/jblm/shgz/201709/t20170920_2068489.shtml>; Opposition: Sullins DP. (2022). Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Do Not Increase Suicide: Correcting a False Research Narrative. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, 3377–3393. <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02408-2>; Blosnich JR, Coulter RWS, Henderson ER, et al. (2023). Correcting a False Research Narrative: A Commentary on Sullins (2022). Archives of Sexual Behavior, 52(3), 885–888. <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02521-2>

Notes: This topic remains controversial. In 2022, Sullins reanalyzed the same dataset while excluding participants who already reported suicidal thoughts prior to conversion therapy; this analysis showed no significant link between conversion therapy and suicidal thoughts (OR 0.44, 0.20–0.94). Sullins’ organization opposes LGBTQ+ rights, and the original study authors have responded to these findings. While the extent of harm caused by conversion therapy is still debated, there is no credible evidence contradicting the fact that such therapy cannot change sexual orientation. This study was assigned a Grade B rating because all data on potential harm were collected via retrospective self-report surveys. Legally, involuntary hospitalization is permitted only for individuals with severe mental disorders who pose a risk of harming themselves or others; voluntary participation is required for all other cases. Mental health professionals are prohibited from providing conversion therapy. Intentionally admitting someone without a mental disorder to a psychiatric facility can result in legal liability. Individuals struggling emotionally due to this issue may seek help from psychiatrists or clinical psychologists to alleviate their distress. Guidance on how families should respond after a child comes out is provided in Section 30, Item 15 (“When a child says they’re attracted to the same sex”). The primary beneficiaries of avoiding conversion therapy are both you and your family members.