Box 510 ~ Reedville VA 22539
VIA FAX 916-319-3306
June 12, 2012
Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi
Chair, Business Professions and Consumer Protection
Sacramento, California
Dear Ms. Hayashi,
We are Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX), a national non-profit organization helping families with homosexual loved ones and supporting an inclusive environment for the ex-gay community. PFOX conducts public education and outreach to further individual self-determination and respect for all Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation.
We write on behalf of our California members in opposition to SB1172, and ask that you vote against this legislation, which would ban therapy for minors with unwanted same-sex attractions. This bill is opposed by therapy organizations and prevents counseling to children who have been sexually molested and therefore confused about their sexual orientation. Teens in stress need more mental health assistance, not less.
As originally drafted, the bill also tried to outlaw such therapy for adults. Equality California, a major sponsor of the bill, opposes ex-gay equality and civil rights for the ex-gay community. They also assert that children should be able to legally change their gender but not their sexual orientation. Evidently, this discriminatory bill seeks to censor sexual minorities and punish the ex-gay community for being who they are.
The American Psychological Association stated in 2009 that
affirmative approaches [homosexual affirming therapy] have not been
evaluated for safety and efficacy. See Appropriate
Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation (APA
2009), page 91 at http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/
Phobia of former homosexuals is not the answer. Children in need of medical assistance should not be held hostage to political ideology by a powerful lobby. Please do the right thing by our children’s mental health and vote against SB1172.
Sincerely,
Regina Griggs
Executive Director
PFOX
cc: Committee Members
Change Therapy Legislation in California
As of today, it is
legal in California to give hormone blockers to an 11 year-old boy
in order to delay the onset of puberty, but it could soon be illegal
for a 17 year-old with unwanted same-sex attractions to receive
professional counseling, even with parental consent. This is an
absolute travesty. Read about it at http://townhall.com/
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