California May Ban Gay Teen 'Conversion' Therapy

[ruggerson]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

A first-of-its-kind ban on a controversial form of psychotherapy aimed at making gay people straight is speeding through the California statehouse.

Supporters say the legislation, which passed its final Senate committee Tuesday, is necessary because such treatments are ineffective and harmful.

"This therapy can be dangerous," said the bill's author Sen. Ted Lieu. The Torrance Democrat added the treatments can "cause extreme depression and guilt" that sometimes leads to suicide.

Conservative religious groups emphatically reject that view of sexual orientation therapy and say the ban would interfere with parents' rights to seek appropriate psychological care for their children.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/08/national/a125726D62.DTL#ixzz1uKrvaa8o

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/08/national/a125726D62.DTL

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About time. Put these people in jail and throw away the key.

[bluestateguy]

1. And when the fundamentalist parents send their gay kids off to ex-gay camp in Arizona or Utah?

I don't see this bill doing much to actually prevent that, noble as the intent may be.

[azurnoir]

2. If the atate has deemed these sort of 'treatments' harmful would it be considered abuse

if a parent forced their child to have this so called treatment in another state? I would certainly hope so

[gratuitous]

3. Good. End the quackery

And if it moves to another state, ban it there, too.

[McCamy Taylor]

4. It is child abuse. I hope they throw parents in jail for doing it.

A child has no protection. He or she can be involuntarily committed and doped up just because the parents want it.

I encourage anyone whose parents have done this to them to file child abuse charges with the state. And, once they turn 18, sue the "health care providers" for malpractice. If the psychologists lose big in court, they will stop. Oh, and if the psychologists charge insurance of Medicaid for their anti-gay services, turn them into the government for insurance fraud. Being homosexual is no longer a medical illness and therefore insurance will not pay to "cure" it.

[WingDinger]

5. No wonder Michelle Bachmann got her swiss citizenship.

Now, not gays, but homophobes become the pariahs.

[Posteritatis]

6. Good to hear. (nt)

[sarcasmo]

7. Good, put an end to these charlatans.