“I love the gay community. In fact, I was in love with a homosexual, it was my first love. I tried to convert him for years but now I know conversion therapy doesn’t work,” the Hunger Games actress quipped.
“Did you hear me Mike Pence? I said conversion therapy isn’t real even though I know you think it worked on you,” she joked.
Conversion therapy, also known as “reparative therapy,” is a discredited and harmful practice aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
It has been rejected by mainstream medical and mental health organizations due to its lack of efficacy and potential for causing harm, including depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide, particularly among LGTBQ+ youth.
Many states and municipalities in the U.S. have enacted laws or regulations to protect minors from conversion therapy. Despite legal protections and condemnations from medical and mental health experts, some right-wing religious groups continue to promote conversion therapy.
As noted by the HRC, Mike Pence has a history of supporting conversion therapy and opposing LGBTQ rights. He signaled support for the malpractice as early as 2000 and diverted funds from HIV prevention to programs for those “Seeking To Change Their Sexual Behavior.”
