About
About the USJS
The United States Joint Statement (USJS) is a pioneering educational partnership denouncing “conversion therapy” and espousing affirmative healthcare for LGBTQ+ indviduals. It is a multi-disciplinary coalition of 28 influential US medical and mental health provider associations. The American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, Academy of Pediatrics and many other associations are joining together in a consensus statement warning against conversion efforts and providing a framework to improve LGBTQ+ healthcare.
The USJS is a comprehensive educational bulwark against “conversion therapy.” This initiative clearly states that conversion efforts are unethical because of the harm they induce. People who undergo conversion efforts suffer from a higher incidence of depression, suicidality, anxiety, alienation and other problems. Commonly known as “conversion therapy,” these practices attempt to change an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms.
USJS Objectives
The USJS offers an educational framework for the partnering associations. The objective of the USJS is to guide health provider associations in setting training outcomes for their members to provide ethical, unbiased, scientifically-based treatment for sexual and gender minority patients. The USJS also advocates for creating and maintaining national ethical licensing standards protecting LGBTQ+ patients.
The initiative is additionally an important legal and legislative resource for anti-conversion cases and legislation. Currently more that 20 US states and many municipalities ban conversion efforts for minors by licensed health providers. These bans need to be increased, broadened, and defended to protect more Americans.
Inspiration for the USJS
The US Joint Statement is modeled after a similar 2015 consensus coalition in the United Kingdom. It inspired psychologist Guy Albert and marriage and family therapist Jim Walker to volunteer their time and energy to launch a similar initiative in the United States. With the help of a few advisors and many champions within the partnering associations, the USJS was finalized in 2023.
The Advisory Council of the USJS is Eileen Blumenthal, Sand Chang, Nathaniel Frank, Jamison Green, Amorie Robinson, and Jim Walker (who is also co-founder of the USJS).
The initiative is also possible because of generous funding from the membership of Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender & Sexual Diversity, and from the support of several individual donors. Donations to the USJS have been processed by the USJS’s 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, the SF LGBT Center https://give.sfcenter.
Read the completed initiative at USJS Final Version.