Iowa considers ban on conversion therapy for gay youths

Iowa could become only the third state in the country to outlaw therapy techniques designed to change the sexual orientation of gay and lesbian youth.

A Senate subcommittee advanced a bill Tuesday that would ban mental health practitioners from providing so-called conversion therapy to minors.

Also called reparative therapy, conversion therapy attempts to convert gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals from homosexuality to heterosexuality through prayer and other efforts. It's based on the idea that a person's sexual orientation or gender identity is a choice.

Most major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association, have denounced the practice.

"I've met many adults now who, when they were children, their families were engaged to say homophobic slurs to them, to call them terrible things, to affirm their worst fears that they will not have a family, that they're heathens, that they're not somebody who God has chosen to love because of who they are," said Denise Hagerla, a licensed independent social worker who testified Tuesday. "And those things lead to shame and self-loathing that carries into adulthood."

However, opponents of the bill said parents are best suited to make medical decisions for their children.

"I think everybody in this room would readily agree that our primary efforts are in the health and well-being of our citizens, particularly our children," said Danny Carroll, a lobbyist for religious conservative organization The Family Leader. "I don't think anyone cares more about the health and well-being of those children than parents. We believe that parents should be free to pursue professional medical care for their children that they believe to be in the best long-term interest of their kids without any interference from government."

What the bill does

The bill would prevent state-licensed mental health providers from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with any patient under the age of 18. It also goes a step further by authorizing disciplinary action by the licensing and professional entities overseeing those providers.

The legislation mirrors bans that have already passed through California, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. A New Jersey state court recently upheld the ban there on the basis that conversion therapy constitutes consumer fraud.

Most people who spoke at Tuesday's hearing supported the ban, including support from some religious organizations.

Tom Chapman, executive director of the Iowa Catholic Conference, said his organization was registered neutral on the bill, though he did express concerns about how it may affect counselors at private Catholic schools. He said he spoke about the bill with counselors at Catholic Charities as well.

"Certainly from their perspective it would be unethical to try to change someone in opposition to their stated desires," Chapman said. "That's not what counseling is about. It's to help people explore who they are."

Hagerla said she has had to tell parents that she will not provide conversion therapy, but worries they will leave her office and find someone who will. She said legislation would help protect children in those instances.

"I really see it as an issue of public health," Hagerla said. "I know it's easy to think of it as very provocative and take an anti-gay or pro-gay stance. But it really is a fraudulent service."

Future of the bill

After hearing an hour of testimony, the subcommittee voted to amend the bill so that it would also protect individuals from conversion therapy based on their gender identity. Senators voted 2-1 to advance the bill to a full committee hearing.

The dissenting vote came from the committee's lone Republican, Sen. Julian Garrett, R-Indianola, and it signified the battle that still may lie ahead for advocates hoping to pass the bill into law. The bill may clear the Senate by the end of the session, but it will face tougher scrutiny in the Republican-controlled House.

House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said she couldn't comment on the bill or its odds in the House.

Sen. Matt McCoy, an openly gay lawmaker who authored the legislation, said it's best to consider it as a two-year effort. If the bill were able to clear the Senate by the end of the session, he said, supporters could take the summer to work on the Republican-controlled House and possibly pass it next session.

McCoy, D-Des Moines, said members of the religious community in attendance had expressed to him their willingness to talk with Republicans about their concerns.

"We're going to full court press on this one," he said.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include that transgender youth would be covered by this bill.

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