YouTube celebrity and LGBTQ youth role model Anthony Quintal publicly renounced his sexual orientation last week, in a 41-minute video. Quintal, better known as Lohanthony, espoused “Christian celibacy” and denounced the “immorality” of his intimate relationships. He claimed to have suffered numerous addictions — and seemed to conflate his addiction with his sexual orientation. In a subsequent video, Quintal denies supporting conversion therapy.
“While these videos may be hard for any LGBTQ+ person to watch, especially for those of us who are survivors of conversion therapy, we’re happy to see that Anthony clearly condemns conversion therapy. That is especially important for his younger followers,” said Born Perfect co-founder Mathew Shurka.
Nevertheless, much of what Quintal is saying is based on the same misconceptions by conversion therapy.
“For example,” Shurka said, “calling same-sex attraction or being LGBTQ a form of addiction is one of the most common tactics used by conversion therapist, even though it has absolutely no truth or validity whatsoever. Conversion therapists also perpetuate the myth that same sex attraction leads to suicidal ideation, while the reality is that suicidality is fueled by discrimination and internalized stigma. We know today that family acceptance is the most vital component to the livelihood and health of any LGBT person.”
A 2018 study by the Family Acceptance Project showed that rates of suicide attempts doubled for LGBTQ youth whose parents try to change them.
Born Perfect is the leading campaign to end conversion therapy. We are survivors, lawyers, and policy experts working together to protect LGBTQ+ people nationally and around the globe. Born Perfect is a program of National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).