Protect Choice in Therapy for Children

Activists throughout the US are aggressively pushing legal bans on change therapeutic for children with gender confusion of unwanted same-sex attraction

 

These bans constitute a huge governmental overreach into the personal, intimate sexual lives and identities of children and their families, dictating health decisions that should be left up to parents, children, and their professional therapists.

 

Currently, such bans have been proposed in both Utah (H.B. 399) and Arizona (S.B. 1047) state legislatures.

 

These bans are promoted by making false claims including claims that sexual orientation and gender identity cannot be changed; that all therapeutic approaches to change therapy are abusive and incorporate such things as electric shocks and that children who receive change therapy will commit suicide.

 

These claims are all scare tactics.

 

First, attractions and identities are fluid and many people have changed.

 

Second, the abusive practice of electric shock was discredited and abandoned decades ago by all professional change therapists (see NARTH.org).  If people are truly concerned about abusive practices, they can pass laws outlawing those practices while protecting mainstream, ethical and voluntary change therapy.

 

Third, many people have testified that change therapy has prevented them from committing suicide.

 

Please act now to protect therapeutic choice for children by signing the letter urging your legislators to vote against your state’s proposed therapy ban. 

 

More resources on Change Therapy 

Oppose Your State’s Change Therapy Ban!

Imagine a child…

Imagine a child who was sexually abused who developed gender confusion or unwanted same-sex attractions.

 

Imagine a therapist telling that child and their parents that they can’t help, or they will lose their job.

 

Imagine that child having to wait until they are an adult to get the help they want and need.

 

This is unconscionable, outrageous, and outright abuse.

 

Please do everything you can to make sure that the therapy ban does not pass in your state.

10 Serious Negative Consequences of Change Therapy Bans

 

  1. Choice would be abolished. If Change Therapy bans are enacted, gender-confused children would be forced to either go without therapy for their unwanted behaviors or feelings related to sexual orientation or self-perceived gender identity or receive transgender “transition” support only.  Such “transition” protocols often include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and genital-mutilating surgeries–protocols that impair sexual functioning and cause infertility for life.

 

  1. Sexually abused children who have developed unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria as a result of their abuse would have to wait until adulthood to get the professional help they need.

 

  1. Children with unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion who are already at a higher risk for suicide could ultimately take their own lives when denied the therapy they want and need.

 

  1. Therapists who are currently treating children with psychological comorbidities(i.e., a combination of porn addiction, depression, unwanted same-sex attraction, gender dysphoria, etc.) would be forced to address only part of their child client’s needs.

 

  1. The only legal change counseling available to children would be from religious leaders who have no professional training in treating unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria.

 

  1. The rights of parents to guide the health services of their children would be violated.

 

  1. The religious rights of parents and children would be undermined.

 

  1. The free speech rights of therapists would be violated.

 

  1. The right to self-determination of therapy clients would be violated.

 

  1. State governments will have launched a huge overreach into the personal, intimate sexual lives and identity aspects of children and their families, dictating health decisions that should be left up to parents, children, and their professional therapists.

Resources Supporting Opposition to Therapy Ban Bills

“Sexual Orientation” Policy Resources

Laws Banning Sexual Orientation Change Therapy are Harmful and Violate Fundamental Human Rights. (FWI Policy Brief) “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts” (SOCE), a term used to describe therapeutic approaches to help people with unwanted same-sex attraction (SSA), has become increasingly controversial in recent years. This is because activists opposing SOCE therapy falsely claim it is ineffective and harmful. This brief summarizes pertinent research and shows that there is no ethical or scientific basis for limiting or banning therapy that has helped countless people with unwanted same-sex attraction.

Understanding Same-Sex Attraction. (FWI Documentary – 30 min.) This documentary is an eye-opening experience for many as it presents the research data e showing that no one is “born gay” and that many people with unwanted same-sex attraction have been able to change.  The film includes interviews with top experts in the field, and powerful testimonials from four men who speak honestly, openly and compellingly about what it was like for them to develop same-sex attraction and live the homosexual lifestyle.  They then discuss their experiences with therapy that helped them to develop a healthy heterosexual sexual orientation.

“Gender Identity” Policy Resources

16 Facts on Gender Confusion. (FWI)  With all the heated debate that has now erupted on this topic, one thing has become abundantly clear—there is a tremendous amount of confusion about gender confusion.  Largely lacking in this debate on both sides of the issue has been any recognition of many of the fundamental facts related to gender-identity issues. Family Watch International’s summary, “16 Facts on Gender Confusion,” provides an extensive list of these important facts that are often ignored.

Understanding Gender Confusion. (FWI Documentary – 10 min. clip)  Experts speak out on the medical facts and social science research regarding gender identity issues and policies including on therapy bans. The experiences of two individuals who attempted to “transition” to the opposite sex are highlighted.

Testimonies of Change: