President Obama wants states to prohibit therapies that attempt to change the sexual orientation of gay, lesbian and transgender youth, the White House said late Wednesday.
“The overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates that conversion therapy, especially when it is practiced on young people, is neither medically nor ethically appropriate and can cause substantial harm,” Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said in a statement posted on the White House website.
“As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors.”
The White House statement came in response to a petition online asking the president to support a federal law banning conversion therapy.
White House officials said Obama would focus his efforts on attempting to ban the practice at the state level. He will not directly call for a federal prohibition on conversion therapy.
The White House campaign comes after the death of 17-year-old transgender youth, Leelah Alcorn, who committed suicide after attending conversion therapy.
Obama has taken an increasingly active role on LGBT issues in his second term, a shift that came after announcing his support for same-sex marriage ahead of the 2012 presidential election.
