North Carolina Governor Bans Funding of Conversion Therapy

RALEIGH, NC — (08-03-19) — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper made history on Friday, when he signed executive order No. 97, banning state-sponsored conversion therapy funding on LGBTQ youths.

Governor Cooper directed North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services to cease the use of federal and state funds for the harmful and discredited practice of trying to convert LGBTQ minors into heterosexuals.

North Carolina Governor Cooper Bans State-Sponsored Funding of Conversion Therapy on LGBTQ Youths

The governor’s Executive order clearly states…”Being LGBTQ is an innate quality and is not a disease, disorder, illness, deficiency or shortcoming.”

Executive Order No. 97 also order cities to condemn conversion therapy practiced by major health organizations such as the American Psychological Association and American Medical Association.

Governor Cooper’s Executive Order No. 97 referenced the alarming statistics published by The Trevor Project, a group that provides a lifeline for at-risk youth. It states that 42 percent of LGBTQ young people who have undergone conversion therapy have attempted suicide.

Conversion therapy has been shown to pose serious health risks, and we should be protecting all of our children, including those who identify as LGBTQ, instead of subjecting them to a dangerous practice.

— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) August 2, 2019

“Conversion therapy has been shown to pose serious health risks, and we should be protecting all of our children, including those who identify as LGBTQ, instead of subjecting them to a dangerous practice,” said Gov. Cooper on Twitter.

We can’t wait until our entire union outlaws this barbaric practice and allow LGBTQ youths to live their lives without torture or intimidation from people with major influence such as government sanctioned organizations.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer