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| Washington State Capitol |
Washington State may be headed towards joining the so far small number of states that ban fraudulent voodoo like "ex-gay" therapy for those under 18 years of age. As noted many times, maintaining the myth that being gay is a "lifestyle choice" that can be "cured" is a key to the Christofascists false claims that LGBT individuals do not need or deserve non-discrimination protections. The bill passed by the lower house of the Washington Legislature focuses on therapists but, in my view, should also make submitting a minor to "ex-gay" therapy a form of criminal child abuse. Anything that helps stamp out the practice is welcome. Note that the House vote was 94 to 4. LGBTQ Nation looks at the legislative action:
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington state House on Thursday approved a bill aimed at prohibiting health care providers from performing controversial gay-to-straight conversion therapy on LGBT youth.
House Bill 2451, which passed on a 94-4 vote, would make it an act of “unprofessional conduct” to try to change the sexual orientation of a patient under 18. That would include efforts to change behaviors, gender expressions or to reduce sexual or romantic attractions toward people of the same sex.
Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, said regardless of personal beliefs, all youth should be protected.
“As a Christian person, I can’t stand by and watch someone be put through a tortuous practice to change a behavior,” he said.
Rep. Laurie Jinkins spoke of a friend who was institutionalized and given shock treatments as a teenager after telling her parents she was a lesbian.
“This bill is about recognizing human dignity of all our kids,” said Jinkins, a Democrat from Tacoma.
The measure would fall under the Uniform Disciplinary Act, which includes acts of unprofessional conduct such as negligence, dishonesty, misuse of drugs or alcohol and betrayal of practitioner-patient privilege. Disciplinary authorities could sanction a health-care provider found to be engaging in gay conversion efforts. Sanctions could range from a fine to probation to mandatory remedial education to license revocation.
Similar restrictions have been enacted in California and New Jersey, but the California ban was placed on hold earlier this month after the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco granted opponents’ request for a stay while they seek a Supreme Court review.
Lawmakers in Maryland, Minnesota and New York have also introduced legislation to prohibit the use of conversion therapy, also referred to as reparative therapy, on LGBT youth. Massachusetts and Pennsylvania’s lawmakers introduced similar measures last year.
A bill in Virginia was defeated by a House committee. The Washington bill now heads to the Senate.
Sadly, the bill here in Virginia was killed by Republicans following marching orders from The Family Foundation, a hate group in all but formal designation.
As a side note, two of my children live in Olympia, Washington, and are proud of their adopted states progressiveness - especially compared to Virginia theocratic backwardness.
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