🌈Is Governor Tina Kotek holding the line for LGBTQ youth?
Way back in 2015, Oregon's former Governor, Kate Brown, signed into law HB 2307, a ban on state-licensed mental health professionals using “conversion therapy” on young LGBTQ clients.
That made Oregon one of just three states, plus the District of Columbia, to adopt such a ban. The other two: California and New Jersey.
Conversion therapy, also called reparative therapy, aims to “fix” or “cure” sexual orientation and gender identity, making gay people straight and trans people gender-conforming. It has been widely discredited by mental health professionals and organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Counseling Association.
It can also be harmful. According to the National Center for Lesbian Rights, young people are at particular risk from conversion therapy, with a fivefold jump in their likelihood of severe depression and three times the risk they will use illegal drugs.
Diane Goodwin, Communications Director at Basic Rights Oregon, which has been fighting for the law since its inception, said, “The Youth Mental Health Protection Act will protect LGBTQ youth in Oregon who may be struggling with their identities, as so many of us do during our teenage years. We believe that all of us are born perfect and should be celebrated for who we are. We are thrilled we were able to work with the Oregon legislature to pass this bill.”
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American Psychological Association:
