National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality UPDATE! Proposed California legislation would limit change therapies for unwanted homosexuality. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
Report from NARTH delegation to the Senate Hearings on SB 1172 We are going to give you a brief overview of our experience at the Senate Committee meeting held in Sacramento yesterday. Also, below you will find a link to the 10 minute recording that we made of most of the important points of the meeting. The link is now on YouTube. It is VERY interesting and reveals much of what we are up against. 1. Senator Lieu read his bill (SB1172). 2. Two representatives in support of the bill (who were also sponsors of the bill...NCLR (National Center for Lesbian Rights) gave their evidence. 3. Two doctors in provisional opposition to the bill (meaning they would only support it if amendments were made) spoke. One doctor was from the APA (American Psychiatric Association). 4. One more speaker (myself) spoke in opposition. 5. Three more in opposition, Dr. Popper and Dr. Willis were only allowed to say "nay" to the bill, but Matt Reynolds, a lawyer from Pacific Justice Institute at least got to speak for a few seconds in opposition. 6. The vote was made to send the bill to the next step, the Judiciary Committee. The vote was 5 to 3 in favor of sending it on. Sending it on... It was almost unbelievable to sit in this legislative committee room to hear the egregious and certainly ridiculous claims of the supporters of this bill. We listened to professional people in the therapeutic and legislative communities agree (not all) without any rebuttal to unreferenced and profound untruths about SOCE. [ Sexual Orientation Change Efforts ] All you have to do is review the recording below or the bill and it's analysis (available on the CA Gov. website) to understand how close we are coming to a ban on not just therapeutic SOCE but on ALL forms of SOCE, including spiritual intervention. Dr. Nicolosi has now responded today to Senator Lieu and demanded corrections of some of the falsehoods about Reparative Therapy in this bill. We will be contacting Senator Lieu tomorrow to ask that he be true to his word of being "willing to work with NARTH and other opposition on amending this bill," which we do not think will really happen. NARTH will be contacting Pacific Justice Institute tomorrow as well to ask for their vigilance in opposing this bill. We will be tracking the Judiciary Committee who will vote nay or yeah in the next step of this bill. HOWEVER, the abuses and harm committed by NARTH, claimed by SB1172 supporters, was one of the main focal points of this bill and the meeting. As such, and in case it is not abundantly clear, we want to express that now is the time for the NARTH Board and NARTH as a whole to react. If we do not take this matter up and fight to end this affront to science, mental health and client rights, then we will sit by and watch all the work we've done simply slip away. -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
