Lyn Duff (born 1976) is an American journalist. Her career began in eighth grade with an underground school newspaper and has continued in various written and audio mediums. She has done extensive reporting in Israel and Haiti. After being forced into anti-gay conversion therapy as a child, she escaped, survived, and was emancipated from her parents. She speaks out for youth rights and criticizes the mental health systems. Having a BA in international affairs and labor law and an MA in Theology, she is affiliated with the Pacific News Service and KPFA radio's Flashpoints, an evening drive-time public affairs show heard daily on Pacifica Radio. Early years Born in California in 1976, Duff began her journalistic career as the founder of an underground school newspaper, The Tiger Club, while an 8th grader at South Pasadena Junior High School in 1989. After five published issues, she was suspended from school by the principal for refusing to stop disseminating the newspaper. After seeking help from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the South Pasadena Unified School District agreed to allow her to return to school. She completed her 8th grade year and was then accepted as an early entrance student to California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), which she attended for a year and a half. While at CSULA Duff was on staff of an alternative newspaper published by Los Angeles art critic Mat Gleason who, at the time, was a graduate student in the school of journalism and president of an alternative Greek organization, Omega Omega Omega, and later went on to publish Coagula Art Journal. Involuntary conversion therapy In 1991 Duff, then fourteen, came out publicly as lesbian. Concerned about her daughter's sexual orientation, Duff's mother had her transported against her will to Rivendell Psychiatric Center (now called Copper Hills Youth Center) in West Jordan, Utah. Duff was admitted to Rivendell Psychiatric Center on December 19, 1991, at age 15. During the drive from California to Utah, Duff covertly called journalist Bruce Mirken, a friend who then wrote for both the LA Weekly and The Advocate. The two had had plans to meet for dinner prior to her forced detention and upon hearing of her situation, Mirken phoned Public Council, a public interest legal aid society that secured pro bono services of corporate attorney Gina M. Calabrese of the Los Angeles firm Adams, Duque & Hazeltine. Although Rivendell was not