In the wake of President Obama’s historic statement this week speaking out against gay “conversion therapy”, a group of White House staffers led by Amanda Simpson, Executive Director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives, and the first openly transgender woman Presidential appointee ever, created a video to discuss the dangers of this harmful practice.
Also on the video are some of the President’s most senior advisers including Valerie Jarrett and also Megan Smith, Chief Technology Officer of the United States and Douglas Brooks, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy. In addition to this, the U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, M.D. released a statement today calling for state and federal action to protect minors from conversion therapy.
“Being gay is not a disorder. Being transgender is not a malady that requires a cure. Had I been Leelah Alcorn’s physician, I would have told her exactly that. And that’s the message I want other doctors, nurses, health professionals, and public health leaders to help get out to parents and children who may be confronting these issues.”
by Roger Walker-Dack
