I have a confession to make and it may surprise some of you. I am against conversion therapy because I don't believe in torture and forced conformity; that's all conversion therapy is. I've read stories on it and it seems to do nothing but cause harm and it invites those undergoing it to self-harm. I think that people can decide for themselves who they want to be as long as they are old enough to properly understand what it is they want.
My belief is that 16 is an ideal age for people to explore gender issues outside of their gender because that is an age where people are properly aware of themselves and their bodies. Studies have even proven that parents who have tried to force their young children to believe they are gay or transgender is abusive. Children need time to become aware of themselves without being told that they might be something else by adults who think they know better.
Children need to know who they were born as first before they can explore the idea that there might be more to them. Parents who may have wanted offspring of a different gender than they got need to just love what they have, as some don't even get the opportunity to be parents. It's abusive to force such information and potential change on them before they can truly understand it. Anything to do with gender is a personal journey that individuals undertake at their own pace and their journey shouldn't be ruined by pressure from society.
