Bill would ban therapy to 'convert' gay youths

[MindMover]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

California could become the first state in the nation to ban therapy aimed at turning gay and lesbian youths straight, after legislators in a key policy committee approved the proposed law Tuesday and sent it to the Senate floor.

SB1172 by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County), would make it illegal for therapists and psychologists to provide so-called sexual orientation change therapy - also known as conversion or reorientation therapy - to minors and require them to obtain written consent from adults who wish to undergo the counseling.

The bill cites a 2009 American Psychological Association report, which concluded this type of mental health therapy is "unlikely to be successful and involves some risk of harm," including depression, thoughts of suicide and anxiety.

If approved by lawmakers and signed into law, the measure would permit lawsuits and damages against therapy professionals who provide the treatment to minors or to adults who have not given written consent.

Lieu said Tuesday that the measure would regulate a form of therapy that has "no medical basis."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/09/MNFE1OF5QT.DTL&feed=rss.news

[sakabatou]

1. This is a large step in the right direction

[AsahinaKimi]

2. Its things like this...

That make me love you CALIFORNIA!!!!


***proud to be a Caligirl!

[Merlot]

6. Exactly!!!

[David Zephyr]

3. Long time in the making. Waiting for it to make Gov. Brown's desk.

This is a really important milestone for our young people.

Grateful to Ted Lieu for pushing this forward.

[Vidar]

4. I hope it happens.

[Prophet 451]

5. They'll call it an attack on religious freedom

Makes me wonder what kind of snake oil you wouldn't be able to sell if you slapped a religious label on it.

[JDPriestly]

8. They can still be born again straight, I suppose. If you believe that is possible.

Therapy and religion are two different things.

[Prophet 451]

10. Obviously

But I also know that the Religious Right starts screaming persecution whenever they don't get their way on anything at all.

[JDPriestly]

14. True.

[jmowreader]

7. It's a bill I really like, and it should pass...

but I almost guarantee the fundamentalists will try to get it all the way to the Supreme Court as an attack on their religious liberties. After all, if they can't try to pray away the gay, their whole religion will just go poof!

[NYC Liberal]

9. It's child abuse, plain and simple.

This should be illegal EVERYWHERE.

[BlueIris]

11. This kind of 'therapy' is nothing short of abusive brainwashing.

Glad this bill exists.

[sarcasmo]

15. +1

[VWolf]

12. Depressing that there

even needs to be such a law.

But given that there does, good on California.

[Zorra]

13. I'm thinking of starting a clinic that will provide therapy for RW fundies.

I've had enormous success in the past in helping lost people get back to reality.

[JitterbugPerfume]

16. trying to "convert" gays

is cruel and should be banned everywhere. Gays do not need to be fixed.