EVERYONE
EVERYONE WILL LEAVE IT ON THE ICE AND PAT AND CINDY JUST ONE CHEER.
>>> WE 4@TOLD YOU A STORY ABOUT
THE NEW LAW BANNING CONVERSION
THERAPY FOR MINORS 4@IN MAINE.
ONE PERSON WHO SAID EXPERIENCE
WITH THAT TYPE 4@OF THERAPY IS
ROB NESBITT.
HE SAT DOWN WITH LINDSAY MILLS
TO ANSWER 4@HER QUESTIONS AND L
VIEWERS KNOW WHY HE BELIEVES
THIS LEGISLATION IS SO
IMPORTANT.
>> 4@ROB, CONVERSION THERAPY IS
SOMETHING YOU'VE HAD 4@4@EXPERI
WITH.
>> IT IS 4@WHEN I WAS IN HIGH
SCHOOL I REALLY STRUGGLED WITH
THE COMING OUT PROCESS.
AND I CAME OUT TO FRIENDS FIRST
SCHOOL I REALLY STRUGGLED WITH THE COMING OUT PROCESS. AND I CAME OUT TO FRIENDS FIRST@
IN A FEW OF THEM WENT TO
CHURCH.
AND SO I DECIDED TO GO WITH
THEM TO CHURCH AND THEY 4@4@
RECOMMENDED IT.
AND I REACHED OUT ON MY 4@OWN T
A YOUTH PASTOR TO 4@TALK ABOUT
WHAT OPTIONS I MI4@GHT HAVE AND
HOW SCARY I THOUGHT BEING WAS.
I WANTED TO BASICALLY TAKE THIS
THING I THOUGHT WAS ABOUT BEING
AND 4@4@FIX IT.
ANYWAY THAT I COULD.
I WANTED TO BE LIKE THE OTHER
KIDS.
I REACHED OUT TO A YOUTH PASTOR
AND STARTED A PROCESS CALLED
PRAY THE AWAY . IT WAS A PLACE
WHERE THEY TRY TO CHANGE YOUR
SEXUAL ORIENTATION THROUGH
PRAYER AND 4@4@MEETINGS. 4@
>> THIS IS SOMETHING YOU
REACHED OUT ON YOUR OWN IN
PURSUIT. 4@
>> YES.
WHEN I TELL PEOPLE I HAVE
EXPERIENCED WITH CONVERSION
THERAPY, A WAY 4@4@TO CHANGE, I
HADN'T COME OUT 4@TO MY PARENTS
OR FAMILY AT ALL.
MY PARENTS THOUGHT I WAS GOING
TO 4@USE GROUP AND BEING A GOOD
KID.
WHO PANICS WHEN THE KID IS
GOING 4@TO CHURCH?4@4@
MY PARENTS THOUGHT I WAS GOING
TO CHURCH WITH MY FRIENDS AND
THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT
WAS HAPPENING.
I HAVE NEVER HAD A CONVERSATION
WITH THEM ABOUT IT UNTIL THIS
WEEK.
>> 4@YOU WERE TAKING THIS UPON
YOURSELF TO CHANGE HOW YOU
FELT. 4@
AT WHAT 4@POINT 4@DID SOMETHING
CHANGE FOR YOU WHEN YOU THOUGHT
TH4@IS WAS NOT 4@WORKING AND TH
IS NOT FOR ME AND MA4@YBE THIS
NOT RIGHT.
>> ONE OF THE MEMORIES I HAD
WAS OF THE YOUTH PASTOR WHO
TOLD ME4@ AFTER MONTHS AND MONT
OF PRAYER CIRCLES AND TALKING
ABOUT THIS AND WHAT4@ I SHOULD @
AT HOME AND WAYS I SHOULD PRAY
AND SE4@EK GOD'S GUIDANCE ON
THIS, THE PERSON GOT FRUSTRATED
IN THEIR QUOTE TO ME WAS, ROB,
YOUR HOMOSEXUALITY IS A 4@
BACKPACK FULL OF ROCKS AND YOU
NEED TO TAKE YOUR 4@BACKPACK OF
YOUR HOMOSEXUALITY IS A 4@ BACKPACK FULL OF ROCKS AND YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR 4@BACKPACK OF@
I REMEMBER THINKING I WAS SO 4@
FRUSTRATED WITH THIS THING AND
I WANTED SO BADLY TO CHANGE.
IT WAS NOT 4@CHANGING.
AS A KID,4@ YOU ARE JUST TRYING
TO BE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AND
YOU WANT TO BE AND IT IS NOT
CHANGING AND IT IS FRUSTRATING.
I REACHED A POINT IN MY LIFE
WHERE IT GOT PRETTY DARK, AND I
HAD MY FIRST SUICIDAL THOUGHT.
I WAS A REALLY CONFIDENT PERSON
MY WHOLE LIFE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER I
THOUGHT IT WOULD JUST BE EASIER
IF I WASN'T ALIVE.
AND THAT SCARED ME. 4@
I THOUGHT, OKAY, YOU KNOW THAT
THAT IS 4@WRONG.
AND SO I DECIDED TO TAKE IT
STEP BACK AND 4@CHOOSE SELF-LOV
INSTEAD OF 4@SO FORM.
I DECIDED NOT 4@TO GO AND JUST
THINK ABOUT THIS4@ ON MY OWN.
AND THAT WAS THE LAST
EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH IT.
BECAUSE 4@I KNEW THAT IS SUICID
TH4@OUGHT WAS NOT 4@AN 4@OKAY T
>> HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THAT
POINT OF SELF-LOVE AND
REALIZING YOU WERE NOT WEARING
A BACKPACK OF WALKS?
>> IT REALLY4@ HAD TO DO WITH M
FAMILY WHO TAUGHT ME THAT THEY
HAVE ALWAYS LOVED ME NO 4@MATTE
WHAT.
THEY DID THAT WHEN I CAME OUT
WHICH 4@WAS AMAZING.
BEING AROUND PEOPLE WHO SAY
YOU'RE OKAY THE WHERE 4@YOU ARE
WHEN YOU'RE AROUND PEOPLE THAT
DO NOT SHOW YOU THAT IT IS
HURTFUL 4@4@AND HARMFUL.
WHEN YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH
PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT YOU AS 4@YOU
ARE, YOU TEND 4@TO DO THAT FOR
YOURSELF TOO, AND THAT IS WHAT
HAPPENED TO ME.
>> WHAT WOULD 4@BE YOUR
SUGGESTION4@ FOR PEOPLE OUT 4@
THERE?
>> THERE ARE SO MANY MESSAGES
I'VE HEARD THROUGH THE YEARS.
IT 4@GETS BETTER,4@ THOSE WHO
MATTER DON'T MIND.
WHEN YOU TELL A KID THAT, IT IS
HARD FOR THEM TO SEE THE FUTURE
AND THE OUTLOOK, BUT YOU 4@HAVE
TO.
YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT MAYBE @
THE SMALLER WORLD IS A BIG 4@
WORD, WORLD AND IT CHANGES
EVERY DAY.
THAT IS WHY THE BAN ON THIS
BILL IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARGUE THERE
MIGHT NOT BE CONVERSION THERAPY
CAMPS 4@4@4@IN MAINE.4@
CONVERSION THERAPY IS ONE OF
THE FIRST THINGS THAT COME UP
ON GOOGLE. 4@
IN MAINE, THAT IS 4@ILLEGAL FOR
YOUTH 4@IN MAINE.
IT WILL SET A TONE AND 4@THE
MESSAGE THAT IT IS NOT
TOLERATED HERE ON A 4@LEGAL LEV.
>> ROB JOINS US NOW.
IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR US TO HEAR
WHAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH.
YOU ARE PROOF THAT IT DOES GET @
BETTER.
>> AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT KIDS
TO KNOW. 4@
ONCE I FOUND SELF ACCEPTANCE
AND ACCEPTANCE FROM OTHERS I 4@
WAS OKAY.
I'M PROUD OF THE PERSON I 4@AM
TODAY.
>> AND THERE ARE RESOURCES OUT
THERE 4@THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE WH
YOU WERE STRUGGLING.
>> IF THEY WERE AVAILABLE, I
DIDN'T KNOW 4@ABOUT IT.
I TRY TO JUST HELP MYSELF.
A GREAT RESOURCE IS THE TREVOR @
PROJECT FOR LGBTQ YOUTH AND
THERE ARE COUNSELORS 4@STANDING
BY 24/7. 4@
1-866-48 EIGHT-7386 IF YOU HAVE
ANYTHING YOU HAVE A QUESTION
ABOUT OR