Tag: ex-gay therapy

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Oregon: State House Passes Ban On “Ex-Gay” Therapy For Minors

By a vote of 41-18, the Oregon House has approved legislation that would ban so-called “ex-gay” or “conversion” therapy that purports to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of young people.

The bill would make it illegal for social workers or licensed mental health professionals such as psychologists or psychiatrists to practice what’s called conversion therapy on children younger than 18.

Laws banning the therapy have passed in New Jersey, California and Washington, D.C. Advocates say bills have been introduced in about two dozen more states.

Rep. Rob Nosse, a Portland Democrat, said the therapy has been widely discredited. He said the therapy can often lead to depression or anxiety in youths.

Psychology experts have called the practice “harmful” and “dangerous.”

The bill now heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate.

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Colorado: State House Passes Bill Banning “Ex-Gay” Therapy

The state House of Colorado has passed legislation that would ban so-called “ex-gay” therapy for minors by a vote of 35 – 29.

One Republican, Rep. Daniel Thurlow of Grand Junction, joined all House Democrats in passing the bill.

The bill now moves to the Republican-controlled state Senate where passage could face a steeper climb.

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Conversion Therapy Takes Steps Forward And Back In Four states

As Oklahoma sees legislation move forward today which would prohibit regulating “ex-gay therapy” in the state, three other states could soon join California, New Jersey and the District of Columbia in outlawing so-called “conversion”therapy that seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT youth.

Lawmakers in Colorado, Iowa and Oregon are all considering legislation that would ban would conversion therapy on patients under the age of 18.

Studies show that conversion therapy is not successful, and in many cases has been shown to be detrimental to the point of suicide for some.

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Dallas Billboard Promotes “Ex-Gay” Therapy, Billboard Company Promises To Remove Ad

A Dallas billboard recently went up promoting the use of “ex-gay” or “reparative” therapy.

As many know today, these techniques are used to try and “convert” gays and lesbians from homosexual to straight. Organizations like the American Psychological Association consider the practices harmful and damaging.

From ThinkProgress:

ThinkProgress spoke with Terry Kafka, president of Impact Outdoor Advertising, the small Dallas billboard company that is hosting the ad. Kafka explained that they had been convinced the ad was for couples therapy, having never heard the term “reparative therapy” before.

He described the true content of the ad as “repulsive to me personally,” promising that the ad would be coming down by next week at the latest. “If we had known, we wouldn’t have put it up in the first place.”

The practitioner who placed the ad, David Pickup,  says his techniques are not meant to “suppress” homosexuality but “resolving issues that cause homosexuality.” He tells ThinkProgress that he believes no one is born gay but instead come about due to childhood “gender identity inferiority” and “unmet male emotional needs.”

The Texas Republican Party endorsed ex-gay therapy in its platform last year.

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Truth Of The Day: Dan Savage

“Look at Marcus Bachmann, Michele Bachmann’s husband. Anybody who has gaydar—anybody who has eyes—looks at him and sees a tormented closet case who has externalized his internal conflict and is abusing other people, doing his reparative-therapy bullshit. It’s so sad and pathetic.

“A lot of the self-destructive behaviors gay people are prone to drifting into are directed inward, and then you have these shitbags like Marcus Bachmann for whom it’s all directed outward.

“Marcus Bachmann is the photo negative of the guy on the last bar stool in the gay bar, drinking and smoking himself to death, except instead of destroying himself, he’s destroying other vulnerable queer people in an effort to destroy the queer inside himself.”

– Savage Love columnist Dan Savage speaking to Playboy

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District of Columbia Outlaws “Ex-Gay” Torture

The National Center for Lesbian Rights sends this press release regarding the District of Columbia Council  which has unanimously approved a bill that will protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth from the discredited and torturous practice of conversion therapy, also known as “ex-gay” therapy:

When signed into law, Washington, D.C. will become the third jurisdiction—behind California and New Jersey—to pass legislation protecting LGBT youth from practices that are known to cause severe depression and even suicide.

“Today, the DC Council sent a powerful message to LGBT youth and their families that they are accepted, supported, and loved,” said Samantha Ames, NCLR staff attorney and coordinator of the #BornPerfect campaign at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).

“The Council has used its authority to protect our most vulnerable youth from dangerous and discredited pseudoscience that tells them who they are is wrong, and reaffirmed the consensus of every major medical and mental health organization that all children are born perfect, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

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Third Circuit Court of Appeals upholds “conversion therapy” ban in New Jersey

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday to uphold New Jersey’s law prohibiting medical professionals in the state from practicing gay conversion therapy, or efforts to turn gay people straight, on people under the age of 18.

The 3rd Circuit Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a November 2013 ruling that found the state’s law, called A3371, which prohibits medical professionals in the state from practicing “gay conversion” therapy, or efforts to turn gay people straight, on people under the age of 18, as constitutional.

The appeals court agreed with the prior court ruling that the plaintiffs’ arguments don’t trump the state’s ability to enact laws regulating professionals, including medical and mental health providers.

The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the Pan American Health Organization have all warned that these “therapies” can be harmful to minors. In addition, all agree there is no evidence “conversion therapy” is actually effective.

Last year, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals made a similar ruling upholding California’s statewide ban on conversion therapy for minors.

New Jersey and California are the only two states that currently have such laws.

(source)

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Michigan: Legislation introduced to ban “ex-gay” therapy for minors

Michigan Democrat Rep. Adam Zemke has introduced legislation which would ban gay conversion therapy for minors in the state.

From MLive.com:

House Bill 5703 would amend Michigan’s mental health code to prohibit health professionals from attempting to change the sexual orientation of anyone under 18 years old.

“The evidence shows you cannot change sexual orientation, so the legislation was kind of a no-brainer,” Zemke said. “We want to make sure children cannot be exposed to situations that are emotionally harmful to them because of their parents’ beliefs or desires to try to change their orientation.”

In 2009, the American Psychological Association said that attempts to change sexual orientation are ineffective and can have harmful side effects including depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety.

Currently, California and New Jersey have laws on the books outlawing gay conversion therapy for minors.

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I’m From Driftwood: “How I Forgave My Father”

Mathew Shurka shares the story of his journey from “ex-gay therapy” to a place of honesty and authenticity.

After years of being subjected to “conversion therapy” by his father, a five minute conversation with his dad allowed Mathew to forgive his father and finally begin to live his life fully.

I’m From Driftwood aims to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people learn more about their community, straight people learn more about their neighbors and everyone learn more about themselves through the power of storytelling and storysharing.

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Anderson Cooper calls out Texas GOP lawmaker on “ex-gay” therapy lies

I recently reported on the latest plank added to the Texas Republican Party platform endorsing “ex-gay” therapy for gays and lesbians who are “seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle.” The same therapy has been denounced and called harmful by the American Psychological Association.

Anderson Cooper spoke to Texas state Rep. Bryan Hughes about the party’s decision to endorse the therapy, and the fact that all major medical organizations denounce the practice. Hughes tries to introduce the “there are opinions on both sides” argument and Cooper stops him in his tracks:

“It’s really just not accurate to say that doctors are evenly divided. I could give you a list: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American School Counselors’ Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers. They represent half a million mental health professionals, they all say this is not a mental disorder. It’s not something that needs to be cured….Does it concern you, again, that your party is now backing a form of therapy which basically every major medical organization says doesn’t work, can be harmful, and which many of the people who have been through it say it doesn’t work and is bad for kids?”

Hughes tried to soften his rhetoric a bit:

“No one is saying that God doesn’t love people as they are. There’s nothiing in the platform about that. No one is trying to take that position. Every one of us makes mistakes, makes decisions we’re not proud of. God loves each one of us, and he offers us a way for us to deal with sin and bad choices. But I do strongly disagree with what he said about God not loving people.”

Anderson pushed back again:

“The fact that you view being gay, or you characterize it as a ‘mistake,’ or something that should be changed really kind of maybe says more about your position than what your words actually say.”

You can watch the interview below. Good for Anderson for having facts at hand and calling out the lies by Hughes.

(via Towleroad)