Common sense prevails today! California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation on Saturday making his state the first in the nation to ban mental health providers from attempting “sexual orientation change efforts” with children and teenagers.
The bill, SB1172 by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County), bars mental health practitioners from performing so-called reparative therapy, which professional psychological organizations have said may cause harm. Gay rights groups have labeled them dangerous and abusive.
“This bill bans non-scientific ‘therapies’ that have driven young people to depression and suicide. These practices have no basis in science or medicine and they will now be relegated to the dustbin of quackery,” Brown said in a statement to The Chronicle.
Brown approved the ban after the public release of two other lists of bills signed and vetoed earlier Saturday. Lieu’s bill is expected to appear on a new list to be released Sunday.
In addition as of January 1st 2013, no mental health provider will be able to provide therapy that seeks “to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex. And for those who do violate the law, which applies to therapy for patients younger than 18, will be subject to discipline by whatever group licenses them.
California-based National Center for Lesbian Rights executive director Kate Kendell praised the action overnight.
“Governor Brown has sent a powerful message of affirmation and support to LGBT youth and their families,” she said in a statement. “This law will ensure that state-licensed therapists can no longer abuse their power to harm LGBT youth and propagate the dangerous and deadly lie that sexual orientation is an illness or disorder that can be ‘cured.’”
Main point to the LBGT community. You are awesome the way you are and just because others including family may think you are “broken” or need to be fixed you do not. At all. As we see today, love and common sense will find a way.
