Tag: conversion therapy

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News Round-Up: April 5, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Dan Tai (above) believes you should “go hard or go home.” #legs #thighs #calves #everything #woof

• Colorado’s state Assembly has approved HB 1129, which will protect LGBTQ youth from so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ Gov. Jared Polis, the first openly gay man elected governor, will sign the bill into law. Colorado will become the 16th state plus the District of Columbia to prohibit the harmful practice.

• Failed politician and talk show host Mike Huckabee says LGBTQ people are the “greatest threat to the moral fiber of America.”

• University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health scientists report in EBioMedicine that they’ve developed an all-in-one immunotherapy approach that not only kicks HIV out of hiding in the immune system, but also kills it.

• Donald Trump is celebrating the election of homophobe Brian Hagedorn to the Wisconsin state Supreme Court. Hagedorn infamously wrote some years ago that being gay leads to bestiality, and recognition of LGBTQ pride events creates a “hostile working environment” for Christians. But, Trump is thrilled with the news.

• LGBTQ ally Cyndi Lauper & YouTube Todrick Hall have been announced to perform at the opening ceremonies of New York Pride this year. Whoopi Goldberg will host the event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on 26 June.

• Click here if you want to hear former The View co-host moan and whine about being scolded by Barbra Walters back in 2006. It pretty much confirms what I always thought about the former reality show contestant.

• Out recording artist Gia Woods drops her latest single, “Keep On Coming,” complete with a moody music video set in a shadowy bedroom.

Woods says the seductive song is about “Someone’s body that ‘keeps coming’ — meaning I’ve never met this person, but for some reason, I’m supposed to know them. I feel like somehow life relentlessly finds a way to make paths keep crossing. This is the realization whether or not you want to meet the person, it’s inevitable.”

Her breakout single, “Only A Girl,” has garnered over 10 million views on YouTube. I recently wrote about her track, “Jump The Fence,” here.

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Massachusetts Senate Approves ‘Ex-Gay’ Therapy Ban

By a vote of 34-0, the Massachusetts state Senate approved a bill banning the practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ on minors.

Previously, the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a similar bill by a 147-8 vote.

Senator Patrick O’Connor, one of six Republicans in the Senate, voted for the bill. The remaining five GOP Senators voted ‘present.’

The bill now heads to Gov. Charlie Baker (R) who has indicated he intends to sign the bill into law.

‘Conversion therapy,’ or ‘ex-gay therapy’ purports to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of people.

Major medical organizations like the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association have all denounced the practice which can lead to depression, anxiety, and in some cases, suicide.

Massachusetts would become the 16th state plus Washington, D.C. to ban the harmful practice.

The new law will allow adults to seek conversion therapy if they want.

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Google Finally Removes Harmful ‘Ex-Gay’ App From Play Store

Internet power player Google has finally removed from its Google Play store an app that promoted so-called ‘conversion therapy’ to LGBTQ youth.

Internet power player Google has finally removed from its Google Play store an app from Living Hope Ministries that promoted so-called ‘conversion therapy’ to LGBTQ youth.

After a months-long campaign by Wayne Besen at Truth Wins Out to stop the spread of the app, plus a petition signed by 142,000 people at Change.org, and the Human Rights Campaign withholding its Corporate Equality Index score from the company, Google announced the app had been pulled.

“After consulting with outside advocacy groups, reviewing our policies, and making sure we had a thorough understanding of the app and its relation to conversion therapy, we’ve decided to remove it from the Play Store, consistent with other app stores,” Google said in a statement.

“We are delighted that Google finally backed down and deleted a dangerous app that targeted LGBTQ youth with toxic messages of guilt and shame,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “It is still unfathomable why Google stubbornly defended the indefensible for months, when the hateful and destructive content in this app should have been self-evident. We hope this sends a powerful message that ‘pray away the gay’ products are unacceptable and have no place in a decent and civilized society.”

HRC’s President Chad Griffin also released a statement:

“We applaud Google for making the right decision to pull this app from their online store. So-called conversion therapy is a debunked practice that’s tantamount to child abuse and is proven to have dangerous consequences for its victims. Google and other platforms that have pulled this app are taking an important step to protect LGBTQ youth.”

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HRC Suspends Google’s Perfect Corporate Equality Index Score Over ‘Ex-Gay’ App

The Human Rights Campaign is withholding Google’s score and endorsement per its annual Corporate Equality Index. The internet giant has previously enjoyed a perfect 100 on the HRC’s annual rating index. But you can chalk up the loss of the endorsement to the company’s refusal to remove an app from its Google Play store that targets LGBTQ youth with the harmful and dangerous practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’

The Human Rights Campaign is withholding Google’s score and endorsement per its annual Corporate Equality Index.

The internet giant has previously enjoyed a perfect 100 on the HRC’s annual rating index.

But you can chalk up the loss of the endorsement to the company’s refusal to remove an app from its Google Play store that targets LGBTQ youth with the harmful and dangerous practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’

Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out, pointed up the app in the press several weeks ago. After the app’s hateful content was revealed, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft quickly removed the app from their app stores.

The app was designed by Living Hope Ministries, a Texas-based group which purports to serve people ‘struggling with a conflict between faith and sexuality.’

But Google has refused to follow suit, despite a petition with over 141,000 signatures calling for the apps removal.

In a statement, the HRC said, “We have been urging Google to remove this app because it is life-threatening to LGBTQ youth and also very clearly violates the company’s own standards.”

This is only the third time in the history of the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index that a rating has been withheld.

In 2017, the HRC suspended Walmart’s perfect score after reports the retailer hadn’t protected transgender employees from discrimination.

Walmart was given a perfect 100 this year in the CEI.

In 2015, Saks Inc. found its rating withheld when it was discovered the company was involved in a legal dispute with a trans employee.

The CEI rates companies and top law firms on criteria in four categories:

• Non-discrimination policies
• Employment benefits
• Supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility including public commitment to LGBTQ equality
• Responsible citizenship

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

This year, a record 570 companies received a score of 100.

Many companies use their high score to attract employees who are looking to work in a diverse and supportive environment.

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Governor Of Puerto Rico Bans Ex-Gay Therapy

Governor Ricardo Rosselló of Puerto Rico issued an executive order on Wednesday banning the harmful practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ minors.

From The New York Times:

The decision came after Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives refused to vote on a bill that would have prohibited conversion therapy, a discredited practice that proponents claim can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The measure passed the Senate this month.

“I firmly believe that the idea that there are people in our society who need treatment because of their gender identity or whom they love is not only absurd, it is harmful to so many children and young adults who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Gov. Rosselló in a statement last week announcing his plans.

Puerto Rico, with 3.2 million citizens, is an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Currently, sixteen states, Washington DC, and dozens of cities and counties have also banned so-called conversion therapy.

As I’ve reported many times on The Randy Report, so-called ‘conversion therapy’ or ‘ex-gay therapy’ has been denounced by practically every major medical organization including the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Podcast: Utah Fails On Conversion Therapy; Mississippi Tries To Ban Gay Prom Dates; Mr. Rogers Was Bi; Jussie Smollett Gets More Bad News

The Randy Report podcast covers politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community

In this week’s podcast:

• Utah’s governor apologizes for legislature’s failure to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’

• Empire star Jussie Smollett gets more bad news

• A Mississippi high school is pretending it isn’t trying to ban same-sex dates to prom

• Folks are surprised to learn that the iconic Mr. Rogers may have been bisexual

• And new music from country artist Cameron Hawthorn reminds of the romance of ‘Dancing in the Living Room’

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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Conversion Therapy Bill Dies In Utah Legislature

Utah lawmakers have gutted legislation that would have banned so-called 'conversion therapy' in the state.

UPDATE – The bill that would have banned ‘conversion therapy’ in Utah has stalled and died for this legislative session.

Republicans had tried to insert an amendment that would allow professional therapists to ‘talk’ about changing a teen’s sexuality, but not promising to ‘reverse’ it.

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Utah lawmakers have gutted legislation that would have banned so-called ‘conversion therapy’ in the state.

With recent changes, the new bill allows therapists to continue using the same techniques, just not with a promise of a certain outcome.

The new version also doesn’t ban therapy intended to change transgender youth.

From The Salt Lake Tribune:

Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, left the morning hearing fuming about the committee’s decision. The majority of the committee, he said, sided with “quack therapists” and “snake oil salesmen” by approving a version of the bill that would be easily sidestepped by practitioners of conversion therapy.

The substitute bill by Lisonbee, R-Clearfield, focuses on prohibiting practices that cause pain or physical distress to a minor patient. It also would ban claims that a therapy could fully and permanently reverse a child’s sexual orientation and assertions that such a change is necessary.

All of the nation’s leading mental health and medical associations, including the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have rejected conversion therapy as dangerous and ineffective, and 15 states have banned certain counselors from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of minors. The practice has been linked to suicide and depression, and supporters of Hall’s legislation have framed it as a potentially life-saving legal change.

The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Craig Hall, told the committee, “This bill, substitute 4, just to make it clear, will not prevent conversion therapy.”

Federal courts have upheld bans on ‘conversion therapy,’ and the U.S. Supreme Court has refused, thus far, to hear appeals on the subject.

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Georgia Assembly Considers Banning ‘Conversion Therapy’ For LGBTQ Youth

Georgia

The Georgia Assembly has filed landmark legislation, the Youth Mental Health Protection Act (HB 580), to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy, which falsely claims to be able to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Currently, 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to protect LGBTQ from so-called ‘ex-gay’ therapy.

“All children in Georgia should receive care that first, does no harm. Conversion therapy has no scientific basis and contradicts the medical community’s understanding of sexual orientation and gender identity,” said bill sponsor, Rep. Matthew Wilson. “I am proud to sponsor this bill that helps ensure the safety of Georgia’s LGBTQ youth by outlawing this incredibly dangerous practice.”

Organizations like The Trevor Project are actively lobbying in every state to put an end to conversion therapy. Their 50 Bills 50 States campaign is the largest in the world working to protect LGBTQ youth from the discredited practice which can amplify stigma and shame.

A study at San Francisco State University showed LGBTQ youth who were rejected by their families due to their identities were 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 8.4 times more likely to have attempted suicide when compared to youth from accepting and affirming families and caregivers.

Conversion therapy is widely denounced by prominent professional medical associations including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

(via press release)

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News Round-Up: February 5, 2019

(image via Instagram/Johnny.Desperado)

Some news items you might have missed: • I love Wrangler jeans. And the outdoors. And cowboy hats. And something else, wait, it’s coming to me… 🙂 • The movie Boy Erased, based on Garrard Conley’s real-life journey through so-called ‘conversion therapy’ will not be released in Brazil. Universal Pictures says the film won’t be released due to ‘financial reasons.’ The South American country recently elected openly-homophobic Jair Bolsonaro as president. • If you ever wondered EXACTLY what it’s like to be bullied at school as a young boy, before he’s even figured out who he is, please read this by my talented friend, David Toussaint. Definitely worth the read. https://twitter.com/DRToussaint/status/1092872236124565505 • ABC News: An investigation by a government watchdog organization shows President Donald Trump’s four trips to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida over four weeks in March and February 2017, including his summit with the Japanese prime minister, cost the government nearly $14 million. • Opera singer David Daniels and his husband Scott Walters, were arrested Tuesday over allegations of rape by baritone Samuel Schultz in 2010. Schultz, who told police he was drugged and raped in 2010, came forward with the allegation in August. • Texas political phenom Beto O’Rourke gave Oprah “a strong signal” he is seriously considering a 2020 run for the White House. https://twitter.com/Jay1043/status/1092923855910457344 • A seven year-old boy in Wisconsin was beaten, tortured and buried in the snow until he died of hypothermia for not knowing his Bible verses. • Pet Shop Boys drop their first single, “Give Stupidity a Chance”, from their upcoming EP Agenda (release date April 12). Neil Tennant describes the track as “a satirical song about the poor quality of political leadership in the modern world.” “Chicks are always up for it / You’ve got to grab whatever you can / We need a leader who knows money means class / With an eye for a peach-perfect piece of ass” Check out the lyric video below.

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Victoria To Become First Australian State To Ban ‘Conversion Therapy’

David Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, announced today that his state will be the first in Australia to introduce a ban on so-called ‘conversion therapy.’

Today, Cath and I will attend another Midsumma Pride March together.

We’ll march alongside thousands of other Victorians, united in the belief that everyone should be able to celebrate who they are with pride.

But for far too long and for far too many Victorians, an evil practice has instead peddled in shame and stigma.

These activities – commonly referred to as ‘gay conversion therapy’ – claim to be able to change someone’s sexuality or gender identity.

What they really are is a most personal form of torture, a cruel practice that perpetuates the idea that LGBTI people are in some way broken.

Some survivors, seeking genuine professional support, have instead found themselves on the other end of this bigoted quackery.

Others have sought it out, forced to believe that they somehow need to be ‘cured’.

But it’s not LGBTI people who need to change. It’s our laws.

That’s why, in an Australian first, we will introduce new legislation to ensure so-called ‘conversion therapy’ is against the law – once and for all.

We’ll drag these practices from the dark ages and into the brightest of lights.

We’ll put an end to the suffering and help survivors to heal.

And we’ll send the clearest message of all:

Here in Victoria, not only are you good enough – you’re worth celebrating.

As I’ve reported many times, major health care organizations like the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the America Academy of Pediatrics have denounced the harmful practice of conversion therapy, which treats being gay as a mental illness.

Study after study shows ‘ex-gay therapy’ can lead to anxiety, depression, and in some cases, suicide.

Bravo, Victoria, bravo!