California's New Law To Protect Youth from Therapists Who Claim They Can "Cure" Them of Being Queer!

Very historic news -

(San Francisco, CA, September 29, 2012)—California Governor Jerry Brown made history today by signing a landmark bill that will protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth from psychological abuse by deceitful mental health professionals who falsely claim to be able to change their sexual orientation or gender expression. With Governor Brown’s signature, California becomes the first state in the nation to protect LGBT young people from these dangerous practices, including the use of shame, verbal abuse, and aversion therapy, that place youth at high risk of depression and suicide. The law, which goes into effect January 1, 2013, prohibits state-licensed therapists from engaging in these practices with minors. 

Governor Brown (at microphone) and State Senator Ted Lieu (the Bill's sponsor)

The press release from the National Center For Lesbian Rights continued with this,

Ryan Kendall, a survivor of the practice who testified in the Perry v. Brown legal challenge to Proposition 8, described his experience earlier this summer to the Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee: “As a young teen, the anti-gay practice of so-called conversion therapy destroyed my life and tore apart my family. In order to stop the therapy that misled my parents into believing that I could somehow be made straight, I was forced to run away from home, surrender myself to the local department of human services, and legally separate myself from my family. At the age of 16, I had lost everything. My family and my faith had rejected me, and the damaging messages of conversion therapy, coupled with this rejection, drove me to the brink of suicide.”

Senate Bill 1172 becoming law is a big step towards a better world. As Clarissa Filgioun, Equality California board president said of the new law when it was signed on September 29, 2012,

"Governor Brown today reaffirmed what medical and mental health organizations have made clear: Efforts to change minors' sexual orientation are not therapy, they are the relics of prejudice and abuse that have inflicted untold harm on young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Californians... We thank Senator Ted Lieu and Governor Brown for their efforts in making California a leader in banning this deceptive and harmful practice."

Namaste,
Lee

No "Cure" For GLBTQ Youth! - Let's support CA Senate Bill 1172

Not that long ago, they used to do electroshock to try to change gay people and make them straight.

Heck, even when I came out in my twenties, the first thing my parents thought of was getting me to a therapist to "fix" me. 

There's nothing to fix (except the society that makes queer people feel less than!)

And in fact, all the legitimate research shows that the only way people are able to "change" is if they fake it.  Even the ex-gay ministries admit the gay feelings never go away.  (And there are some famous stories of ex-gay leaders who fell in love with each other - in gay love, that is!)  There's a lot of hate out there, and a lot of self-hate.  But we shouldn't let so-called "medical" and "mental-health professionals" continue to torture kids who just want to be themselves.

Well,

The California State Assembly recently made history by passing a landmark bill that will ban psychological abuse inflicted on LGBT young people by deceitful mental health professionals who falsely claim to be able to change their sexual orientation or gender expression.

Senate Bill 1172—authored by California State Senator Ted Lieu—will stop mental health professionals from harming young people with this dangerous practice, but only if Governor Brown signs the bill into law.

Family Equality Council has organized an campaign to send emails to California Governor Jerry Brown - and you can add your voice!

Let's make it clear that it is unethical and wrong to try to change who people authentically are - and that trying to change those young people should have consequences!

Namaste,
Lee