Posted on 04/09/2015 6:57:12 AM PDT by xzins
President Barack Obama, through a statement posted Wednesday night on the White House website by adviser Valerie Jarrett, backed legislation that would ban parents from having their children counseled not to be what Jarrett called "LGBTQ+".
“As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this Administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors,” Jarrett said in the White House statement.
“Conversion therapy generally refers to any practices by mental health providers that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” said the statement. “Often, this practice is used on minors, who lack the legal authority to make their own medical and mental health decisions. We share your concern about its potentially devastating effects on the lives of transgender as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer youth.”
Jarrett conceded in her statement that an act of Congress would be needed to pass a national law that prohibited parents from having their children be counselled to be heterosexual rather than what she called “LGBTQ+."
“While a national ban would require congressional action, we are hopeful that the clarity of the evidence combined with the actions taken by these states will lead to broader action that this Administration would support,” Jarrett said.
She suggested that parents disserve their children when they do not accept them as “LGTQ+.”
“Family relationships are pivotal to the physical and emotional well-being of any child, including LGBTQ+ youth,” she said. “Every child needs love, support, and acceptance to grow, dream, and thrive. LGBTQ+ youth with supportive families and friends show greater well-being, better general health, and significantly decreased risk for suicide, depression, and substance abuse.
“Countless families and guardians across the country proudly support their LGBTQ+ children,” Jarrett said. “Too many LGBTQ+ youth, however, lack this support system, which can have devastating consequences. Negative family reactions to LGBTQ+ youth can be perceived as rejection by children, often contributing to serious health issues and inhibiting a child’s development and well-being. And when it comes to LGBTQ+ youth, some actions by family and caregivers can be harmful, despite even the best intentions.
“This Administration,” she said, “believes that young people should be valued for who they are, no matter what they look like, where they’re from, the gender with which they identify, or who they love.”
Jarrett’s statement was preceded by a quotation from President Barack Obama describing a “young man” who is “wrestling with a secret.”
“Tonight, somewhere in America, a young person, let's say a young man, will struggle to fall to sleep, wrestling alone with a secret he's held as long as he can remember. Soon, perhaps, he will decide it's time to let that secret out. What happens next depends on him, his family, as well as his friends and his teachers and his community. But it also depends on us -- on the kind of society we engender, the kind of future we build.”
Jarrett’s statement was posted in response to a petition posted on the White House website in January that called for a “law to ban all LGBTQ+ conversion therapy." The petition had approximately 120,000 signers.
I assume the bill will have riders attached that also prohibit parents from getting their children counseling for anorexia, bulimia, cutting, depression, anxiety...
No? Why not?
By seizing power far beyond anything ever envisioned by the Founders.
Are we talking about LGBTOBDSM?
How long will it be before they try to pass laws making it illegal to be heterosexual? That’s where we are heading, don’t doubt it for a second.
It’s of note that Jarrett’s no longer bothering to hide her hand in all this.
It’s also not enough just to talk against this. Congress has to act.
If a government can tell a parent not to get help for their own child, then that government can tell a parent anything. Anything from deserting the child to killing it.
That is better - but it’s actually ‘questioning’.
Liberalism is incompatible with Human existence.
Looks like the all-purpose General Welfare Clause is being expanded yet again to give the federal government the power to intrude in the privacy of the parent-child relationship.
How many more outrages like this must we endure before enough people see that an unrestrained government is an enemy to liberty, and thus to prosperity?
I would propose that the first restraint upon government is by a limited budget, and thus by limited funds. But when government gives itself power (enabled by Keynesian economics) to create near-infinite money out of thin air, then it has near-infinite funding of near-infinite bureaucracy by which to create and enforce near-infinite regulations each having the weight of law.
Government also buys favor and support by funding enough “benefits” that almost half of all households in the US receive some form of direct government money.
The first order of business of an Article V convention of the States must be to restrain government’s ability to create more money than the citizens want to send in the form of taxes upon themselves. We must stop near-infinite money so we stop near-infinite government.
There were no Christians in Sodom so I know things can’t get quite that bad.
They won’t. So who will? Please Lord, you promised in Psalms to punish your enemies.
How about places where kids are encouraged to be homosexuals, like Smith college?
Which makes it demonic
It points out the absurdity of the idea. If you have to force people to not do it, you lose the “reasoned argument” side.
Thereby explicitly negating that pesky religion part of 1A.
They got the free press part suppressed voluntarily by joining forces with the MSM.
FU Mr. President.
Those “gay rights” organizations in schools are counseling children too. BAN them as well.
Conversion, grooming, it’s all how you look at the matter.
So after the pedophile homosexual rapes your son, you may not have a therapist help your son understand he is not required to be a homosexual himself.
We must all remember that Obama could not be Obama without the protection and promotion of Boehner and McConnell. Without those two fools, Obama would collapse immediately.
Anyone who doesn’t homeschool is asking for the government to come smack in between them and their children. Actually, they’re not merely asking for it, they’ve already done it.
Excellent post, Uncle.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.