08/29/2012

Washington– California Governor Jerry Brown has the chance to protect California’s most vulnerable children by signing into law SB 1172, a bill prohibiting therapists from harming lesbian, gay bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth by subjecting them to dangerous efforts that purport to change one’s sexual orientation.  Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, sent a letter to Gov. Brown urging him to support SB 1172.  Today, HRC launched a petition, asking 350,000 members and supporters in California to call on Gov. Brown to do the right thing and sign the bill into law. 

“Governor Brown has an historic opportunity to protect California’s children while embracing science by banning dangerous so-called reparative therapy,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.  “We ask fair-minded people across the country who are concerned about the well-being of all children, to sign our petition urging Gov. Brown to sign SB 1172 into law.”

Reparative therapy has not only been debunked as junk science, but has also been proven harmful to children and adults.  All major medical and mental health organizations have denounced reparative therapy and warned of its harms.  Those organizations include: 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. 

In his letter to Gov. Brown, Griffin detailed the consequences of continued demonization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, citing HRC’s landmark study of LGBT youth released in June.  The top concerns for LGBT youth revolved around a lack of acceptance by family, classmates, and society more generally. In contrast, straight youth worried about classes, grades, college acceptance, and financial pressures. This stress is unsurprising considering that 89 percent of California youth reported hearing negative messages about being LGBT – 63 percent of those youth say those messages come from elected leaders.

“LGBT youth have too many things to worry about in today’s society.  It’s time to ban reparative therapy,” added Griffin. 

Sign the petition calling on Gov. Brown to sign SB 1172 here: https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1493&autologin=true.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.