The following comes from an April 10 Ateleia article by John Burger:

President Obama is calling for an end to “reparative therapies” aimed at helping young people rid themselves of same-sex attraction and identification as “transgender.”

The White House posted a statement Wednesday evening alongside a WhiteHouse.gov petition for support to end the controversial practices.

“We share your concern about its potentially devastating effects on the lives of transgender as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer youth,” the statement, written by Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to Obama, says. “As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors.”

The New York Times quoted White House officials saying Obama will not explicitly call for a federal law banning therapists from using such therapies on their patients, “but he is open to conversations with lawmakers in both parties. Instead, he will throw his support behind the efforts to ban the practice at the state level.”

Aleteia reached out to experts on the subject as well. Dale O’Leary, author of The Gender Agenda: Redefining Equality, shared a forthcoming article, part of which reads:

Suppose parents are informed that their child has a serious condition, one for which the recommended treatment includes a lifetime regime of powerful drugs which can cause serious even life threatening side effects, mutilating surgeries, which can leave scars and compromise urinary track function, and result in the total loss of the ability to procreate and the partial or complete loss of genital function and pleasure. Even with this radical treatment, their child would be at high risk for depression, other psychological disorders, suicidal ideation and attempts, and a shortened life span. In addition their child would have to hide this condition.

Should these parents be allowed to seek a second opinion?

President Obama and his advisor Valerie Jarret say no. However, according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey of 6,450 persons who self-identify as transgender 41% said they had attempted suicide, versus 1.6% of the general public.

O’Leary noted that according to the latest psychiatric profession standards in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), “the risk of suicide persists even after surgery.”

As if to adhere to a “practice what you preach” principle, the administration also announced the creation of an “all-gender restroom” in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where many of the White House staff members work, “to provide an additional option for transgender individuals who are not comfortable using either the men’s or women’s restrooms,” the Times reported.