http://news.yahoo.com/calif-could-ban-gay-straight-therapy-teens-195822806.html
QuoteCalifornia lawmakers are poised to vote Tuesday on a first-of-its-kind ban on a controversial form of psychotherapy aimed at making gay people straight.
Supporters say the legislation is necessary because such treatments are ineffective and harmful.
"This therapy can be dangerous," said the bill's author Sen. Ted Lieu.
He 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 California bill would interfere with parents' rights to seek appropriate psychological care for their children.
"While this is a direct assault on everyone's freedom it is also a not so subtle attack on religious liberty," the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality said in a statement.
The debate comes as gay rights issues take the spotlight around the nation.
Over the weekend, Vice President Joe Biden said he is "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex couples getting the same rights as heterosexual couples.
In North Carolina on Tuesday, voters are expected to decide whether to make it the 29th state to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman.
And in Colorado, a measure to extend civil union protections to gay couples faces a looming deadline in the state Legislature.
The California bill would prohibit so-called reparative therapy for minors and force adults who chose to undergo the treatment to sign a release form that states that the counseling is ineffective and possibly dangerous.
AB1172, sponsored by Equality California, was expected to go to its final committee hearing Tuesday afternoon and will go to the full Senate if approved.
Lieu says attempts to pathologize and change people's sexual orientation should be treated akin to smoking and drinking: harmful activities that adults can choose to participate in, but children cannot.
"We let adults do all sorts of stupid and risky things, but we ban dangerous things for young people," Lieu, D-Torrance, said in a telephone interview.
He was inspired to take up the issue by a cable news documentary featuring people whose parents had attempted to change their sexual orientation. The doctor featured in the show "was evil," he said.
Interest in the religion-based therapy appears to have surged in recent years.
Exodus International, the world's largest Christian referral network dealing with homosexuality, now refers people to 260 groups across the country, up from about 100 a decade ago. The organization has 35 ministries and churches scattered around California, from the Central Valley to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Mainstream mental health organizations say people shouldn't be seeking out groups like Exodus at all.
The American Psychological Association said in 2009 that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy.
The association cited research suggesting that efforts to produce the change could lead to depression and suicidal tendencies, and stated that no solid evidence exists that such change is possible.
The American Counseling Association and American Psychiatric Association have also disavowed the therapy. And the psychiatric association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders nearly 30 years ago.
Conversion therapy penetrated the national consciousness last year when former Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was questioned over whether the Christian counseling business of her husband provided therapies that attempted to change gays and lesbians.
Last month, psychiatrist Bob Spitzer retracted his widely-cited 2001 study that found that "highly motivated" people could change their sexual orientation, and apologized to the gay community.
The measure would likely face legal challenges from opponents who say it is unconstitutional.
Lieu says he addressed free speech issues by excluding clergy from the legislation.
Gay rights advocates say such a ban would constitute a major milestone, and could lead to similar legislation across the country.
I don't think the government should be banning the activities of well informed consenting adults.
Quote from: Viking on May 08, 2012, 03:50:29 PM
I don't think the government should be banning the activities of well informed consenting adults.
The California bill would prohibit so-called reparative therapy for minors and force adults who chose to undergo the treatment to sign a release form that states that the counseling is ineffective and possibly dangerous.I don't see the problem, provided it's proven by mainstream science that it's harmful. We prevent teens from buying cigarettes because they're dangerous for them, it's really no different.
Who gets to do the "turning lesbians straight" therapy? :perv:
[Note: not with real-life lesbians, only with porn lesbians :P]
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
Quote from: Malthus on May 08, 2012, 04:55:08 PM
Who gets to do the "turning lesbians straight" therapy? :perv:
[Note: not with real-life lesbians, only with porn lesbians :P]
I once met a couple of spectacular lesbians. Even the sort of butch one was somehow ridiculously HOTT.
Quote from: Barrister on May 08, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
Havent heard of many kids committing suicide as a result of chiropracty.
Quote from: Barrister on May 08, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
Given the political setup for gays in California, I'd call it tit for tat.
Quote from: Martinus on May 08, 2012, 05:13:25 PM
Quote from: Barrister on May 08, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
Havent heard of many kids committing suicide as a result of chiropracty.
I still wonder why it's socially acceptable to talk about curing a pedophile and not acceptable to try to cure someone who is gay.
What about straight-to-gay therapy?
:homestar:
Raz, when people have you on ignore, they can't see your feeble attempts unless they choose to.
Ah yeah. Martybait fail.
Valmy needs Caps-to-Rangers therapy! :w00t:
Quote from: Jaron on May 08, 2012, 08:32:50 PM
Valmy needs Caps-to-Rangers therapy! :w00t:
It ain't over yet :angry:
Quote from: Martinus on May 08, 2012, 05:13:25 PM
Quote from: Barrister on May 08, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
Havent heard of many kids committing suicide as a result of chiropracty.
Nope, just strokes.
Quote from: Barrister on May 08, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
chiropractiy is effective, much more than physiotherapy. It can be dangerous, but lots of medical treatments can be dangerous.
Quote from: viper37 on May 10, 2012, 02:36:04 PM
Quote from: Barrister on May 08, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
chiropractiy is effective, much more than physiotherapy. It can be dangerous, but lots of medical treatments can be dangerous.
:wacko:
Uh, no.
Indeed chiropracty isn't medicine.
Actually, it seems like a lot of the local chiropractors are also pretty efficient in sports medicine. Maybe instead of an outright ban, they should just limit the scope of what "conditions" chiropractors can treat,
Jesus, a gay Californian chiropractor would be up shit creek.
Quote from: PDH on May 10, 2012, 03:56:13 PM
Jesus, a gay Californian chiropractor would be up shit creek.
Is that a euphemism? :D
Quote from: Malthus on May 10, 2012, 03:59:41 PM
Quote from: PDH on May 10, 2012, 03:56:13 PM
Jesus, a gay Californian chiropractor would be up shit creek.
Is that a euphemism? :D
Seriously.
Quote from: garbon on May 08, 2012, 08:30:16 PM
Raz, when people have you on ignore, they can't see your feeble attempts unless they choose to.
I'm thinking about turning ignore off. It just seems like it's no fun.
Quote from: Neil on May 10, 2012, 04:49:50 PM
Quote from: garbon on May 08, 2012, 08:30:16 PM
Raz, when people have you on ignore, they can't see your feeble attempts unless they choose to.
I'm thinking about turning ignore off. It just seems like it's no fun.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nooooooooooooooo.com%2Fvader.jpg&hash=f9ceac09d6ec8b5e88c1e1d61649beb90d629666)
Quote from: Neil on May 10, 2012, 04:49:50 PM
Quote from: garbon on May 08, 2012, 08:30:16 PM
Raz, when people have you on ignore, they can't see your feeble attempts unless they choose to.
I'm thinking about turning ignore off. It just seems like it's no fun.
Well Marty and Grumbler do enjoy reminding me they are ignoring me. Maybe just prohibit them from using the Ignore button.
Quote from: Barrister on May 08, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
lolwut
Good.
Minors can't decide about such stuff. Adults however should be free to try and get themselves brain washed if they want.
Quote from: viper37 on May 08, 2012, 04:45:04 PM
Quote from: Viking on May 08, 2012, 03:50:29 PM
I don't think the government should be banning the activities of well informed consenting adults.
The California bill would prohibit so-called reparative therapy for minors and force adults who chose to undergo the treatment to sign a release form that states that the counseling is ineffective and possibly dangerous.
I don't see the problem, provided it's proven by mainstream science that it's harmful. We prevent teens from buying cigarettes because they're dangerous for them, it's really no different.
Not a problem then
but, there is a difference between not letting teens buy cigarettes and forcing teens to attend nicotine addiction therapy.
Things like this by blue states always have me nervous about the coming social conservative backlash in my homestate. Laws banning minors from participating in pro-gay organizations and the like.
Quote from: Barrister on May 10, 2012, 02:39:36 PM
Quote from: viper37 on May 10, 2012, 02:36:04 PM
Quote from: Barrister on May 08, 2012, 04:57:29 PM
They need to ban chiropracty long before they ban this, if they want to go after "ineffective and possibly dangerous therapy".
Since they aren't, I'll put this down to political grandstanding.
chiropractiy is effective, much more than physiotherapy. It can be dangerous, but lots of medical treatments can be dangerous.
:wacko:
Uh, no.
physiotherapy has never done anything for me. I'd go there for 2-3 months twice a week with no permanent results. They are comparable to a dentist, similar academic background.
Osteopathy, on the other hand, can work better than chiropracty for some problems... but generally speaking, it is practiced like weirdos who don't really believe in science.
Quote from: garbon on May 10, 2012, 03:07:38 PM
Indeed chiropracty isn't medicine.
they have 2 years of medical study, same as dentist and a buch of other health specialist.
And yet they don't study medicine.
Quote from: garbon on May 11, 2012, 10:36:01 AM
And yet they don't study medicine.
Lots of health professionals don't study medicine like an M.D.
My choices are:
[list=1]
- wait 2-4hrs at the E.R. or 1-2 months to see my family doctor
- get a subscription for anti-pain pills that will either upset my stomach or make me completely stone
- take the pills for 2 months
- Live with pain
- go back to #1
- get a reference for a specialist
- see the specialist in 3-4 months if I'm lucky
- get told by the specialist there's nothing to do, I have to wait some more, it's been only 6months, come back later if I still have pain
- see the specialist one year after the accident, get told it's still too early, there's nothing to do.
- take anti-pain pills that make me stone.
- avoid any kind of physical exercise that can be painful
Or:
[list=1]
- get an appointment with the chiro, from 1-5 days depending on the emergency.
- get a treatment for 40$
- recall in 1 week
- repeat from #1 3-4 times
- problem fixed
Quote from: viper37 on May 11, 2012, 01:06:09 PM
Quote from: garbon on May 11, 2012, 10:36:01 AM
And yet they don't study medicine.
Lots of health professionals don't study medicine like an M.D.
My choices are:
[list=1]
- wait 2-4hrs at the E.R. or 1-2 months to see my family doctor
- get a subscription for anti-pain pills that will either upset my stomach or make me completely stone
- take the pills for 2 months
- Live with pain
- go back to #1
- get a reference for a specialist
- see the specialist in 3-4 months if I'm lucky
- get told by the specialist there's nothing to do, I have to wait some more, it's been only 6months, come back later if I still have pain
- see the specialist one year after the accident, get told it's still too early, there's nothing to do.
- take anti-pain pills that make me stone.
- avoid any kind of physical exercise that can be painful
Or:
[list=1]
- get an appointment with the chiro, from 1-5 days depending on the emergency.
- get a treatment for 40$
- recall in 1 week
- repeat from #1 3-4 times
- problem fixed
What does this have to do with curing your homosexuality? :huh:
we're long past that dude, that was at least 2 pages ago.
I don't think you can be cured btw.
Stage IV Tehgay Syndrome? :(