Bill to ban 'conversion therapy' advances in Iowa

Brianne Pfannenstiel | The Des Moines Register

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa could become the third state in the nation to outlaw therapy techniques designed to change the sexual orientation of gay and lesbian youths.

A state 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."

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 in California, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. 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 in support of 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."

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, though it stopped short of extending those same protections to transgender individuals. 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, 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.