conversion therapy

noun

plural conversion therapies

: the use of any of various methods (such as aversive stimulation or religious counseling) in an attempt to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual or to change a person's gender identity to correspond to the sex the person was identified as having at birth

Note: Conversion therapy is generally regarded as having no scientific basis and as being both ineffective and harmful.

Conversion therapy is both pointless and painful. At its best, it can inflict considerable psychological damage on a child without changing their sexual orientation or gender identity whatsoever. At its worst, it can lead to suicide …

—Samantha Allen

Momentum has been building in legislative sessions this spring for the bans, which prohibit state-licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy for anyone under 18.

—Susan Miller

called also reparative therapy

Examples of conversion therapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Starmer’s Labour manifesto includes popular positions like passing a trans-inclusive conversion therapy ban and reforms to the Gender Recognition Certificate process, a requirement for legal transition in the U.K. —Samantha Riedel, Them, 5 July 2024

The report notes that the Great Lakes State, which had an impressive 4.87 increase, implemented a statewide ban on conversion therapy, protecting its LGBTQ+ population. —Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2024

Another 22 states and Washington, DC have passed bans on conversion therapy. —Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 10 June 2024

Rohn said the conversion therapy ban was almost a decade long project of community advocates. —Sara Chernikoff, The Courier-Journal, 10 June 2024

Four went into law, enacting bans on gender transitions for minors, student pronoun changes and gender affirmation surgery in prisons, as well as protecting religious conversion therapy. —Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 6 June 2024

On the legislative level, bans on conversion therapy should explicitly reference asexuality, Benoit says. —Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024

With 14 points, New York earns the No. 1 spot for its LGBT protections, lack of censorship and conversion therapies, and concerted efforts put into LGBT marketing and infrastructure. —Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2024

Before speaking of her friendship with Peck, the Oscar winner took a shot at former Vice President Mike Pence, who has been accused of, at one point, supporting gay conversion therapy. —Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above