Tag: conversion therapy

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News Round-Up: August 16, 2018

Andrew Serkin (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Miami-based InstaHunk Andrew Serkin (above) took a break from the sun. #LuckyUs

• An Oklahoma school district briefly shut down this week after people purporting to be parents of students used social media to make violent, epithet-filled threats against a transgender girl. “If he wants to be a female, make him a female,” one user wrote. “A good sharp knife will do the job really quick.” Another post read, “You know we have open hunting seasons on them kind. Ain’t no bag limit either.”

• Regarding the still-unfolding and massive molestation scandal wracking the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, Catholic League president Bill Donohue today told followers the alleged victims were not raped: “they were groped or otherwise abused, but not penetrated, which is what the word ‘rape’ means.” #SRSLY

• A new twist in the #MeToo movement: An 11-month Title IX investigation recently found New York University Professor Avital Ronell responsible for sexually harassing her gay student, Nimrod Reitman.

• GQ Magazine got in hot water for calling these guys “stocky.”#Stocky???

• Omarosa Manigault Newman‘s tell-all Unhinged claims that Ivanka Trump hated the Saturday Night Live sketch that labeled her “complicit” in March 2017. According to Omarosa, Ivanka was “thin-skinned and could not seem to take a joke.”

• The California Senate has approved AB 2943, a bill that could protect LGBTQ people statewide from undergoing gay conversion therapy. The bill passed in the state Assembly in April. After heading back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote, the bill will hopefully be signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.

• Donald Trump’s military parade this fall is shaping up to cost $80 million more than initially estimated. The parade, slated for Nov. 10, is now estimated to cost $92 million, blowing way past the original $12 million estimate.

• Queer artist Anthony Starble recently teamed up with The Klassiks to create an sexy EDM remix of his latest single, “Paperweight.” The new mix adds a catchy synth line and bass drops that kicks up the intensity from the original.

I like. Listen below and then head to iTunes for more from Starble here.

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Delaware Becomes 15th State To Ban Harmful “Ex-Gay” Therapy

Delaware has become the 15th state to ban the harmful practice of so-called “conversion” or “reparative” therapy.

On Monday, Governor John Carney signed the bill that bans attempts to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of minors. The legislation considers conversion therapy “unprofessional conduct” for mental health and medical professionals. Any mental health professional caught practicing the ‘theraphy’ on a minor will find themselves subject to discipline.

The new law also contains language preventing the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families from recommending “conversion therapy.”

During the legislation’s journey to becoming law, state Rep. Richard Collins (R-Millsboro) introduced an amendment that would have allowed conversion therapy if a patient were to request it. The amendment, fortunately, gained no traction and was soundly voted down.

HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride, a Delawarean herself, issued a statement which read, in part, “Today’s signing is a critical step forward in the fight to ensure that Delaware is a safe and affirming state for all LGBTQ youth, and we hope that the values and progress reflected in this law guide the ongoing conversation in Delaware about protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination.”

The practice has been condemned by the American Medical Association, the American Pediatrics Association, the American Psychiatric Association and many others due to its disastrous effects which can lead to depression and, in some cases, suicide.

Delaware joins Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, Maryland, Hawaii, New Hampshire – plus Washington, D.C. in enacting legislation to ban the widely discredited practice of “ex-gay” therapy.

Additionally, over 30 cities and municipalities have banned the practice from being performed on minors.

See below a map from the Williams Institute showing where bans have been enacted as well as states with pending legislation.

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New Trailer For “Boy Erased” Packs A Visceral Punch

The trailer for the upcoming drama, Boy Erased, which chronicles a teen’s journey through the harmful process of so-called “conversion therapy,’ has been released and it delivers on a deeply visceral level.

Directed by Joel Edgerton, the movie is based on the 2016 memoir by Garrard Conley, and stars Academy Award nominee Lucas Hedges as “Jared,” the 19-year-old son of a Baptist pastor played by Academy Award winner, Russell Crowe.

Outed to his religious parents, Jared is given the choice of attending an “ex-gay” therapy camp to be “cured” of his homosexuality, or face being shunned and disowned by his family.

“Boy Erased is the true story of one young man’s struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity,” reads the official synopsis.

Lucas Hedges and Théodore Pellerin in Boy Erased (2018) – image via Focus Pictures

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly this past May, Edgerton shared, “The film satisfies the dramatic and salacious stuff that interested me, but it also had an emotional resonance to it that I felt didn’t just make it a dark and nihilistic story.”

“Garrard’s story is so full of redemption,” added Edgerton. “My approach and treatment of this story was that there were no villains, that everyone thought they were doing the right thing.”

In addition to Hedges and Crowe, the film stars Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman as Jared’s mother, and Aussie out singer Troye Sivan in a supporting role.

Sivan has also contributed a new original song, “Revelation,” for the soundtrack.

“Conversion therapy” has been banned from being performed on minors in 13 states plus the District of Columbia, as well as over 30 cities and municipalities.

The practice has been condemned by the American Medical Association, the American Pediatrics Association, the American Psychiatric Association and many others due to its disastrous effects which can lead to depression and, in some cases, suicide.

Boy Erased arrives in theaters November 2.

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Maine Governor Becomes 1st In Nation To Veto “Conversion Therapy” Bill

Maine Gov. Paul LePage

What a jackass.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed legislation that would have protected LGBTQ youth from the harmful practice of so-called “conversion therapy.”

In doing so, LePage becomes the first governor in the United States to veto such legislation.

The vetoed bill, LD 912, would have prohibited the advertising, offering or administering conversion therapy to individuals under 18 years of age in Maine as an unfair trade practice, penalizing mental health workers who engage in the practice with loss of their license.

Included in the bill was a carve-out for members of the clergy as long as they didn’t receive any monetary compensation.

LePage told state lawmakers in a statement he was concerned about the ‘religious liberty’ of parents to decide how and if their children are exposed to the dangerous practice.

This isn’t LePage’s first trip to the anti-LGBTQ rodeo.

In 2016, LePage famously left a profanities-laced voicemail message for a political opponent that included the use of the anti-gay slur “cocksucker.”

To date, 14 states – Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, Maryland, Hawaii, New Hampshire – plus Washington, D.C. have enacted legislation to ban the widely discredited practice of “ex-gay” therapy.

Even in his own party, the Republican governor is woefully out of step.

GOP governors in New Jersey, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Maryland and New Hampshire have understood the dangers “conversion therapy” can have on young people.

Mainstream medical organizations including the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all denounced the practice.

The Maine bill passed in the state House by 80-55 and in the Maine Senate 19-12 in a special legislative session last month.

LGBTQ advocacy organizations are calling for state lawmakers to override the governor’s veto.

Marty Rouse, HRC National Field Director, issued a statement which read, in part, “Governor LePage’s shameful decision to veto this life-saving legislation leaves Maine’s LGBTQ youth at risk of being subjected to a practice that amounts to nothing less than child abuse.”

“These crucial protections are supported by a bipartisan majority, and have been signed into law in a growing number of other states by both Democratic and Republican governors — including by the Republican governor in neighboring New Hampshire mere weeks ago.”

“With this inexcusable decision, Governor LePage has become the only governor in the nation to veto legislation protecting young people from this abuse, solidifying his place in history’s hall of shame.”

Janson Wu, executive director of GLBTQ Advocates & Defenders, called LePage’s veto a “heartless and dangerous action” that leaves LGBT lives at risk.

“Gov. LePage had an opportunity to protect Maine youth from these harms, and to ensure parents are not misled into subjecting their children to an unsafe and ineffective so-called ‘treatment,’” Wu said.

“Instead, the governor has sent a signal that the risk of hurting LGBTQ youth is acceptable.”

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UK Government Announces Initiative To Improve Lives Of LGBT People

The UK government has announced a new initiative to help improve the lives of LGBTQ people

A new survey of 108,000 LGBTQ people in the UK has cast a new light on the discrimination that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people face each day.

Among the findings:

• More than two-thirds of respondents admitted they don’t hold hands with their same-sex partner in public our of fear

• 2% of the 108,000 had undergone conversion therapy; 5% had been offered the discredited treatment

• 40% of respondents had experienced anti-LGBTQ hate incidents; of those 9 out of 10 were unreported

• 23% admitted they had experienced anti-LGBTQ animus in the workplace

• 70% avoid living openly as LGBTQ to avoid negative reactions

• 67% of transgender respondents say they avoid being open about their gender identity due to fear of how others would react

In response to the findings, a new initiative has now been announced titled, “LGBT Action Plan – Improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people” which aims to explore “legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy.”

Medical experts around the world including the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association and almost every other professional therapeutic group in America, have denounced the practice of so-called “conversion” or “ex-gay” therapy as inappropriate, unethical, harmful and, in some cases, can lead to suicide.

The approach of “conversion therapy’ is based on the premise that LGBTQ people are suffering from a mental condition that needs to be ‘fixed.” The World Health Organization declassified homosexuality a mental condition in 1992.

In the United States, 13 states plus Washington, D.C. and over 30 local municipalities ban the harmful practice for minors.

Reacting to the survey’s results, British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement saying he felt “struck by just how many respondents said they cannot be open about their sexual orientation or avoid holding hands with their partner in public for fear of a negative reaction.”

“No one should ever have to hide who they are or who they love,” the UK leader said. “This LGBT action plan will set out concrete steps to deliver real and lasting change across society, from health and education to tackling discrimination and addressing the burning injustices that LGBT people face.”

Ruth Hunt, chief executive of the British LGBT rights group Stonewall, hailed the new initiative by the government as “an important first step” but added that it needs to lead to “tangible change.”

“Some people will be shocked by the findings. But for anyone who is LGBT, or has a family member or friend who is, these results will be sadly recognizable,” she said in a statement. “Laws have improved and attitudes have changed but our society still treats LGBT people like second-class citizens.”

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Hawaii’s Governor Signs”Ex-Gay” Therapy Ban Into Law

Hawaii News Now reports the good news that the Aloha state is now the 12th in the country to legally ban so-called “conversion therapy” for minors.

Hawaii is now the 12th state in the country with a law that prohibits therapists from offering so-called “conversion therapy” to minors. Conversion therapy, the practice of trying to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, is universally rejected by national organizations that guide accepted practices for licensed psychological professionals and is considered a pseudoscience.

But it remains pervasive in some corners. The new law, signed by the governor Friday, applies to psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, and marriage and family therapists. Act 13 also establishes a temporary sexual orientation task force in the state Health Department to address concerns from minors who see counseling on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The law goes into effect July 1.

“Today I signed SB 270, which prohibits therapists from offering ’sexual orientation change efforts’ or ’conversion therapy’ to patients under the age of 18,” Ige wrote on Facebook.

“Overwhelming scientific research has shown that ’conversion therapy’ is not effective and frequently has lasting, harmful psychological impacts on minors,” Ige continued. “This practice is neither medically nor ethically appropriate.”

“I’m proud to join the 11 other states who have banned conversion therapy and send a strong message to our LGBT youth: that sexual orientation is not an illness to be ’cured’—we accept you just the way you are. #BornPerfect.”

The practice of “conversion therapy” on minors has also been banned in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia, and about three dozen cities and counties.

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News Round-Up: May 25, 2018

Hot, handsome, woofy guy
(image via kenneth-in-the-212)

Some news items you might have missed: • I don’t know who this guy is, but Kenneth-in-the-212 found him and I just had to look at him some more… 😉 • Even with the recent announcement that the NFL will fine players who take a knee during the national anthem, New York Jets owner Christopher Johnson says he’ll pay any fine levied against his players. • Out country artist Ty Herndon talks about the upcoming Concert for Love & Acceptance. • LGBTQ people are leaving hostile countries in Asia for the more accepting lands of New Zealand. • George Takei says he bears no ill will towards his accuser who has now walked back his accusation that Takei sexually assaulted him almost 40 years ago. • On the UK series Celebrity Juice, TV personality Mark Wright and comedian Joel Dommett complete an obstacle course while passing a banana between their mouths because…?

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Maryland Bans So-Called “Ex-Gay” Therapy For Minors

Maryland became the 12th state in the U.S. to ban health professionals from practicing so-called “ex-gay therapy” on minors after Gov. Larry Hogan signed the bill into law today.

Supporters of the ban note the therapy is widely discredited by medical and mental health associations and can lead to depression, lowered self-esteem and in some cases, suicidal thoughts.

The new law will classify the practice as unprofessional conduct.

The practice of “conversion therapy” on minors has also been banned in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia, and about three dozen cities and counties.

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Ireland Moves To Ban Anti-Gay “Conversion Therapy”

Legislation that would ban so-called “ex-gay” conversion therapy continues to advance in Ireland’s parliament.

The bill, titled the Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018, has now passed the second stage in the Seanad.

The legislation would ban the archaic and harmful practice of attempting to “cure” homosexuality in Ireland. Should the bill pass, individuals found guilty of performing conversion therapy on another person could face steep fines and possible prison sentences.

Medical experts around the world say the practice is extremely harmful and can lead to lowered self-esteem, depression and suicide.

In 2015, Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage through popular vote.

At this writing, 13 states in the U.S. currently ban the use of “conversion therapy” on minors, along with nearly three dozen cities and local municipalities.

Currently only Brazil, Ecuador and Malta have nationwide bans.

(source)

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Hawaii Bans Harmful “Ex-Gay” Therapy

Lawmakers in Hawaii approved a bill on Friday that bans the practice of so-called “conversion therapy” on LGBT minors.

“This has been a priority of the caucus for years,” said Michael Golojuch, chair of the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, told Hawaii News Now. “(The measure) ensures that LGQTB youth will not be tortured by mental health professionals.”

Governor David Ige is expected to sign the bill into lawl

Hawaii joins similar bans in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia, and several local municipalities.