Posted on 05/09/2012 8:20:59 PM PDT by Steelfish
California Weighs Bill To Ban Gay Teen 'Conversion' Therapy
California may ban a controversial therapy designed to convert teens from gay to straight. By James Eng
A California lawmaker says he’s optimistic about the prospects of a bill that would make it illegal for therapists in the state to try to “convert” gay youths.
Sen. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from Torrance, says so-called “reparative” or “ex-gay” therapy wrongfully treats homosexuality as a disease and can be dangerous to minors. If his bill becomes law, California would become the first state to ban therapy aimed at turning gay and lesbian teens straight.
“Some therapists are taking advantage of vulnerable people by pushing dangerous sexual orientation-change efforts,” Lieu said before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve the bill on Tuesday.
“These non-scientific efforts have led in some cases to patients later committing suicide, as well as severe mental and physical anguish.”
SB 1172 now goes to the full Senate. No date for a vote has been set, but it will likely be in the next month, according to Lieu. If it passes there, it would face action in the Assembly.
“For decades, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people — particularly youth — have suffered psychological abuse by those who are entrusted to care for their emotional and psychological well-being,” Clarissa Filgioun, board president of Equality California, an advocacy organization that sponsored the bill, said in a statement. “It's long past time to do everything in our power to put an end to the use of therapy tactics that have no sound scientific basis and that cause lifelong damage.”
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.msnbc.msn.com ...
but lesbians putting 8 brainwashed year olds on sex change therapy hormones is just fine?
Attach an amendment to ban gay recruiting of heterosexuals.
These people just do not understand the purpose of government.
I’m going to have to move out of this festering crap hole of a state.
I'm not sure how this interferes with parental rights (not saying it doesn't, I'm just not sure how). What is clearer to me is how it tramples all over doctor-patient confidentiality. If I wish to be "cured" of my problems with disorganization, should Big Brother prevent my chosen therapist from helping me achieve that goal just because certain professional organizations and the self-proclaimed "scientists" in the state capital or Congress believe that disorganization is not a sickness and efforts to "fix" it may be potentially harmful?
“The bill would ban children under 18 from undergoing so-called “sexual orientation change efforts,” often referred to by the acronym SOCE. It would also require adults... to sign informed-consent forms indicating that they understand potential dangers of reparative therapy that the bill lays out, including depression and suicide, and that it has no medical basis.”
“In some extreme cases, therapists have used electric shock or nausea-inducing drugs to try to modify the behavior of gay people, according to media reports.”
They can use electric shock or nausea drugs on me but it’ll never work. I am and always will be a lesbian trapped in a guy’s body!
I am somewhat confused on this proposed law.
Does it mean that someone that wants this therapy can not have it? Does it mean that someone can not be forced by their parents to have this therapy against their will if they are a minor?
There is a hell of a lot of difference in the two above questions.
What does the proposal really say legally?
Of course they bring up antiquated, primitive methods that no modern doctor uses.
“Paging Nurse Ratched”..., “Paging Nurse Ratched”... Please report with the combine. HTRN is THINKING!!!
Exactly. I have an anxiety disorder and I’ve used CBT to successfully manage it with therapy.
In my case, I was clearly born this way but it’s not a useful thing even if it’s “natural”.
If teens who don’t want to be sexually attracted to same-sex people are denied therapy, how is this helpful?
It is a mental illness. Deal with it.
I’m right there with you—I have bipolar disorder, which is considered both biological and in some cases genetic. I was, in fact, born this way. But that doesn’t make it healthy, so I am treating it with meds and therapy.
I think there is way more significance than one might think to the fact that homosexuality was removed from a list of mental disorders. Disorders are nothing to be ashamed of, but you do have to treat them or they will destroy you.
The writers of this article also seem to overlook that gay people who don’t go through orientation change therapy ALSO commit suicide.
No homosexual ever suffers severe mental and physical anguish as a naturally occurring byproduct of their condition. And none commit suicide. Right?
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