A Minnesota House committee on Wednesday voted to ban state health care providers from attempting to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity through “conversion therapy.”
of Measures Approved Wednesday The Minnesota House of Representatives Committee on Human Services and Policy has authorized state-licensed mental health care professionals to engage in conversion therapy with clients under the age of 18 or with adults considered vulnerable under Minnesota law. trying to prevent
The bill has now been sent to the state House of Representatives Health and Finance Committee, where it is expected to pass.
“This measure will help ensure that LGBTQ+ minors are protected from harmful practices that undermine their self-esteem. Major sponsor, Rep. Athena Hollins, Democrat, said. she said at a hearing on Wednesday.
“I want people to know that it’s okay to be who you are,” said Hollins, who is openly pansexual. “Actually, they’re great. They’re great and they’re loved.”
The practice of “transformative” or “restorative” therapy has been condemned as unscientific by major medical societies such as the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. One reason for this is that LGBTQ identity is based on the erroneous assumption that it is a medical condition that requires treatment.
Attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity have also been condemned by LGBTQ advocacy groups and mental health groups, who say the consequences of conversion therapy are often severe and long-lasting.
2020 Report from Williams Laba public policy think tank, found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in the United States were almost twice as likely to report suicidal ideation when exposed to conversion therapy.
The same survey found that 7% of lesbians, gays and bisexuals between the ages of 18 and 59 had undergone conversion therapy at some point in their lives, mostly by a religious leader. A third said they had received conversion therapy from a healthcare provider.
2021 study from trevor projectIt is a national LGBTQ youth suicide prevention organization.
The practice of conversion therapy also comes with financial costs.March Trevor Project Report Combining the ‘direct’ costs of conversion therapy (health insurance reimbursements or fees to religious groups) with the ‘indirect’ costs of conversion therapy (treatment for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts), Each was determined to be approximately $9.23 billion. Year of federal spending.
Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have laws or policies that prohibit conversion therapy for minors. Exercise enhancement projectis a think tank that tracks state laws that impact the LGBTQ community. Five states, including Minnesota, have implemented partial bans.
Ann presidential decree Signed in July by the Governor of Minnesota. Tim Walz (Democrat) bans state-funded conversion therapy funding, but does not outright ban its practice.
Three states—Alabama, Georgia, and Florida—are on the federal judicial circuit with injunctions blocking enforcement of bans on the practice of conversion therapy.
The Minnesota legislator’s decision to introduce a bill banning state doctors from practicing conversion therapy came at the same time that House Republicans in neighboring Wisconsin voted yes for the second time. rice field. Block State Enforcement Proprietary Prohibition of Conversion Therapy.
Republicans in both states argued that laws banning conversion therapy were unconstitutional and that Congress had no right to interfere in individual health care decisions.
“The government doesn’t belong in the counselor’s office,” Minnesota Rep. Debra Kiel, a Republican, said at a hearing Wednesday. “The law violates free speech in a very private setting. This is a private conversation between the counselor and the person seeking counseling.”
Keel then introduced an amendment to ban gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, but it was defeated by a 6-5 vote.
