Take pride in who you are

Imagine growing up knowing that you are different. Imagine not being sure as to who you can trust with your ‘secret.’ Imagine being forced to change. Imagine someone forcing you to be something you’re not; someone telling you that you had to be someone you are not.
Conversion therapy: This is what conversion therapy is, and has been a very controversial practice that is seriously criticized throughout the years. It is the psychological treatment and/or spiritual counseling used to change a person’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual.
As a part of LGBTQA+ Awareness Month, The University of Toledo in partnership with Equality Toledo hosted ‘Self-Hatred is Not Love’ at the UT Law Center at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 10.
This was the first year that a panel has spoken in regards to this specific issue.

“There will be a panel of speakers (including) Danielle Smith from NASW Ohio talking about some of the problems of conversion therapy and why it is denounced by most professionals across our country,” said Sherry Tripepi, a social work instructor and a part of the organizing committee for the event. “There will be an individual that has experienced conversion therapy and that individual will talk about the harms that they have experienced through that. And there will be a faith leader; that individual is going to talk about that from a faith perspective.”
The technical term for conversion therapy is “psychological treatment or spiritual counseling designed to change a person’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual.”
This “treatment” has been shown to be harmful to many people, which is why Tripepi, and others planning the event, are hoping to raise awareness about conversion therapy and its effects on people.
“Research on conversion therapy shows that it is harmful. Denouncing or banning conversion therapy would improve human conditions,” said Danielle Stamper, a graduate assistant from the Office of Multicultural Student Success. “Holding an educational panel on the negative and harmful effects advances knowledge through learning.”
The effects that conversion therapy have on people are permanent, which is why those who planned this event are determined to raise awareness about it.
“Almost two years ago, there was a transgender individual who committed suicide because she was being forced to go to conversion therapy,” Tripepi said. “So, it’s created some awareness in our state about the issue and the concerns about the issue in our community,” Tripepi said.
For Stamper, this event is important on both a personal and professional level.
“As part of the LGBTQA+ community, it is important to me to advocate for the rights of my queer siblings,” Stamper said. “As a future social worker, this is important to me because mental health services should always be research-based and beneficial. Conversion therapy is the exact opposite of what mental health services should embody,” Stamper said.
As part of UT, the event was free and open to the public, and both Stamper and Tripepi encouraged everyone to attend. During the LGBTQA+ Initiatives month, organizers hope events such as this one will help to inform more people about what is going on in today’s world.
“As a social worker, my professional organization is one of the organizations that has denounced this as a form of therapy,” Tripepi said. “And as a social worker teacher, I’m teaching students as well as the community, creating awareness about what’s harmful and hopefully empowering individuals in terms of being able to be who they are and be supported, and empowered, and accepted.”