gorsuch continues this week. the senate judiciary committee will vote on the nomination. majority leader mitch mcconnell has announced he plans to hold a final confirmation vote by the end of the week. as always, you can watch the senate live on c-span2 and c-span.org or listen on the free c-span radio app. >> all month, we are featuring in thedentcam winners competition for middle and high school students. this year, students told us the most urgent issue for the new president and congress. our second prize high school winners are 11th and 12th graders from elk grove, california. the shelbi vaughan and chris. lgbt are documentary on therapy and submersion.

318.9 millionhe people living in the united states. identifyillion of them themselves as gays or lesbians, and transgender's. while these issues have been receiving more attention, not all has been positive. one of these issues is conversion there be. >> we are going to end the harmful practice of so-called conversion therapy. so-called conversion there be. has, in a topic that the last election in recent years. what is it really? to answer the question, we turn to some experts. with changingo someone from day to straight. usually, you see it in the context of group therapy.

there is often some religious backing to it. is therd piece psychological approach. -- a goes by the belief that there is some disconnect between a male and his father or a female and her mother. >> make no mistake, conversion is not aboutherapy training away the day. to the american psychological association, sexual orientation was unlike the to change the national association of social workers states conversion therapies will not change sexual orientation. >> there is no scientific evidence whatsoever that therapyon there be -- is useful. there are no studies that indicate their are any positive

benefits from this therapy. therapies this, the persist. california'sharm, theq population report says early efforts to change sexuality included castration and lobotomy. while these techniques are not in practice by modern practitioners, the therapies can still be harmful. upthey would sign their kids to be converted. they would be taken off to a camp to be converted. to try to fix something in a child that was not broken to begin with. their identity, whether it be

sexual orientation or gender identity, trying to force someone to be something they are not can be incredibly damaging to them as an individual, to their relationships with others and can really put additional stresses on their life that will cause harm across other development. thesel these -- while therapies have dangerous of their own, it speaks to the acceptance of lgbtq thought or the lack of it which has serious consequences. >> the world in which lgbt's are growing up can often be hostile. >> whether they have been older or younger going through it, it was the same place where they were so uncomfortable with being gay in their social environment. 10, there is aof religious element to this. regardless of whether there is a

religious element or not, there is an overwhelming sense of because be who you are the environment in which you were raised suggests this is not right. we know from research that people that have gone through therapyon there be -- are often suicidal. they are not finding the acceptance that they wish. never seemhat they to be who they are supposed to be. kind of like what i went through. there is a feeling that something is always wrong with you. the were more likely to experience suicide, use drugs and be exposed to std's compared to those that received little rejection. point is to love your child. tell them they can be whoever they want.

they can have the opportunity to define their own gender identity. and their own sexual orientation. >> they need print -- protection and acceptance. we cannot change every environment or might but 45 percent of lgbtq the field their state government is not accepting them and 34% feel the same way about their local government. both governments are there to protect them and their rights. some states have recognized the thought -- the harm of these therapies. five states out of 50 is not enough. we as you our congress and new president to take on the urgent issue of conversion there be -- therapy. we ask you to stand up for lgbt youth. take a stand alongside our

nation's capital. no minor should beef -- should feel left behind or forgotten the cause of who they love and all minors should feel protected by their government. of theatch all prize-winning documentaries in this year's studentcam competition, visit studentcam.org. >> live today at noon eastern, investigative journalist and best-selling author annie jacobsen is our guest on book tv: in depth. >> from the pentagon documents, it is clear that that it is moving humans in the military environment towards being comfortable in merging man and machine. >> she is known for her writings on government secrets and will discuss her four recent books including area 51, operation recent,p, and her most

phenomena. join our live three-hour conversation with annie jacobsen. send us your facebook questions, twitter or calls. here on c-span this morning, washington journal is next. at 10:00, newsmakers with democratic congressman ben ray lujan of mexico. and later, the first in a series of. intelligencete committee on russian interference and the 2016 elections. coming up on today's washington journal, a look at potential pandemics around the world and what can be done to prevent them. our guests include dr. anthony tobias, whonet directed and produced a new film on the topic. then, we hear from dave spencer, founder of the group