Obama wants to end to gay conversion therapy for minors

Robert LeCompte Jul 9, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>Obama wants to end to gay conversion therapy for minors</h1>
                <h2><p>President Obama is supporting an end to the practice of offering gay and transgender conversion therapies to minors after, as the NY Times reports. His decision apparently came after he read about a transgender teen who committed suicide following attempts to "convert" her back to a boy. While</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/robert-lecompte-crosscut-com/">Robert LeCompte</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>President Obama is supporting an end to the practice of offering gay and transgender conversion therapies to minors after, as the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/us/politics/obama-to-call-for-end-to-conversion-therapies-for-gay-and-transgender-youth.html?hp=&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">NY Times</a> reports. His decision apparently came after he read about a transgender teen who committed suicide following attempts to "convert" her back to a boy. While Obama is not planning on personally introducing a bill on the federal level, he will be supporting any efforts states make to end the therapies. California, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., have already passed laws banning the practice in regard to minors. In Olympia, the state House has passed a ban, <a href="http://mynorthwest.com/174/2744714/Washington-House-passes-ban-on-sex-conversion-therapy?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">My Northwest notes</a>. The Senate, which passed a different version of the bill earlier, will look at the changes.</p>
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President Obama is supporting an end to the practice of offering gay and transgender conversion therapies to minors after, as the NY Times reports. His decision apparently came after he read about a transgender teen who committed suicide following attempts to "convert" her back to a boy. While Obama is not planning on personally introducing a bill on the federal level, he will be supporting any efforts states make to end the therapies. California, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., have already passed laws banning the practice in regard to minors. In Olympia, the state House has passed a ban, My Northwest notes. The Senate, which passed a different version of the bill earlier, will look at the changes.

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By Robert LeCompte

Robert LeCompte is an editorial intern at Crosscut. He studies communications and film at The Evergreen State College where he recently transferred from Maryland. When not working, he can usually be f