WASHINGTON California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law SB 1172, a bill that will put an end to dangerous and disproved efforts designed to change a young person's sexual orientation or gender expression that have proven to inflict great emotional harm. Upon learning of the governor's signing of the bill, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin issued the following statement:
"We're grateful to Governor Brown for standing with California's children. LGBT youth will now be protected from a practice that has not only been debunked as junk science, but has been proven to have drastically negative effects on their well-being. We commend Governor Brown for putting children first, and call on all states to take California's lead on this issue. We will continue our fight against this kind of child abuse, which has been deemed harmful to children by all major mental health, medical, and child welfare organizations."
Authored by California Senator Ted Lieu, SB 1172 was sponsored by Equality California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Gaylesta, Lambda Legal, Mental Health of North America, and the Courage Campaign. This week nearly 50,000 concerned citizens signed a Human Rights Campaign petition urging the Governor to sign the bill.
Efforts to change sexual orientation or gender expression have been debunked as junk science, and have also been proven harmful to children and adults. All major medical and mental health organizations have denounced the practice including: the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American School Counselor Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Pan American Health Organization. Learn more at www.hrc.org/reparativetherapy.
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center commends California Governor Jerry Brown for signing SB 1172, protecting LGBT youth
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ In response to California Governor Jerry Brown's signing of SB 1172, the bill that protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth from the dangers of "therapy" intended to change their sexual orientation or gender expression, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean issued the following statement:
"Finally, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth in California will be protected from the dangerous and discredited quackery known as 'reparative therapy.' We applaud Governor Jerry Brown for signing SB 1172 and its author, Senator Ted Lieu, for saving lives through their legislative and moral leadership. It's my sincere hope, for the benefit of all American youth, that this new law will spark a wave of similar legislation in statehouses throughout the country.
It's outrageous that anyone, especially under the guise of providing therapy, should be allowed to practice discredited techniques known to inflict severe emotional harm and sometimes suicide. All too often we see the results of these 'treatments' on the many homeless LGBT youth we serve at the Center; repairing their harmful effects is challenging, especially for the many who turn to drugs to deal with their torment. Such practices should never have been protected by the law here and they shouldn't be protected anywhere else."
About the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
For more than 40 years, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has been building the health, advocating for the rights and enriching the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Our wide array of services and programs includes: free HIV/AIDS care and medications for those most in need; housing, food, clothing and support for homeless LGBT youth; low-cost counseling and addiction-recovery services; essential services for LGBT-parented families and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV prevention programs; transgender services; cultural arts and much more. Visit us on the web at: www.lagaycenter.org .