Transgendered youth are classified by the American Psychiatric Association as suffering from "gender identity disorder." The conference report stated that they often suffer from high rates of substance abuse, attempted suicide, and psychiatric problems. It concluded that access to support, nonjudgmental help, and positive role models were key to helping transgendered youth achieve identity resolution, self-acceptance, and productive, satisfying lives. The report stated that it is harmful to treat them as "disordered individuals," and that they should be offered support and access to resources to help them resolve conflicts surrounding their identity and determine whether treatment is appropriate.

Furthermore, when addressing the situation of mentally ill sexual minority youth, the report said, "Lesbian and gay adolescents with severe mental illness lack the level of support available in many communities for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. The dual stigma of homosexuality and mental illness further isolates and marginalizes them, while lack of accurate information and negative internalized stereotypes make it increasingly difficult to develop a more positive identity and to understand their risks." ²

However, we do not pressure them to make this choice, for the following reason. At present, we have no idea how feelings of sexual attraction develop in straight people, let alone those who are gay, bisexual, or attracted to younger people. There are many speculated theories, but none are backed up by any solid evidence.

Although homosexuality is not the same thing as attraction to younger people, researchers in the field admit that current theories that have attempted to explain and treat these two phenomena are identical. Few have been tested scientifically, and none are supported by scientific evidence.^1,2,3,4 In particular, there is no evidence that accepting certain kinds of sexual feelings causes them to spontaneously emerge in people without them, to grow stronger in people who already have them, or to prevent other feelings from emerging.

Thus, all efforts to direct or change feelings of sexual attraction are experimental. There is as yet no scientific evidence that any particular method is generally effective and safe. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that psychotherapy or counseling may be successful with certain people. However, anecdotal evidence also suggests that psychotherapy intended to change sexual feelings of homosexuals is sometimes ineffective and harmful.

Unfortunately, most efforts to change sexual feelings for younger people are not voluntary and are not carried out in a compassionate therapeutic context. Current methods (aversion therapy, etc.) and the coercive conditions under which they are imposed are virtually identical to those used 40 years ago with all homosexuals. They are usually based on the use of shame and humiliation, and are physically and/or emotionally painful. (See treatment for more information.)

It is now widely recognized by the mental health profession that this approach is ineffective, dangerous, and unethical when used with homosexuals. The report of the 1994 HHS conference on sexual minority youth states:

…lesbian, gay, and transgendered youth are at risk for…inappropriate treatment, and involuntary institutionalization, which includes use of behavioral conditioning and aversive treatment aimed at changing their sexual orientation and enforcing socially-sanctioned behavioral changes….use of involuntary aversive treatment is a clear violation of ethical standards. In addition, treatment aimed at enforcing strict gender codes which are contrary to one's core identity will likely result in harmful, potentially long-term iatrogenic disorders…follow-up mental health services are generally warranted to 'undo' psychological damage caused by such ill-advised attempts.5