The White House on Wednesday formally supported a call to end so-called "conversion therapy" that seeks to "cure" gay minors, saying such treatments can have "potentially devastating effects on the lives of transgender as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer youth." Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, posted a statement Wednesday night supporting a petition to "Enact Leelah's Law," which seeks to ban the practice. "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," it said. The proposal is named for Leelah Alcorn, a transgender 17-year-old from Ohio who killed herself. She had left a note that blamed her parents for forcing her into conversion therapy.
