Washington, D.C. – This Pride Month, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) introduced their Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, legislation that bans so-called “conversion therapy.” The fraudulent practice seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity based on bunk science and has been recognized by a national community of professionals in education, social work, health, and counseling as a dangerous and useless practice. The members first introduced the legislation in the 114th Congress and have pushed to pass it every Congress since.
“It is long past time we ban ‘conversion therapy’ nationwide—and I won’t stop pushing alongside my colleagues until we do just that,” said Senator Murray. “So-called conversion therapy is just plain wrong—it’s based on the hateful idea that being part of the LGBTQ community requires treatment and has been thoroughly debunked by medical experts. Our kids deserve nothing less than love and affirmation of who they are, and our legislation will help ensure that no kid in our country be subjected to this sham practice.”
“Conversion therapy is not just harmful and inhumane, but the practice has been rejected by countless reputable medical and mental health organizations,” said Senator Booker. “We must treat all people, regardless of their gender and sexual orientation, with compassion and allow them to express themselves without fear. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill that will ban this cruel and dangerous practice.”
“Conversion therapy is a harmful sham that hurts LGBTQIA+ youth and turns a profit for scammers posing as mental health professionals,” said Rep. Lieu. “Numerous major medical organizations have concluded that the practice has no validity and is based entirely on fake science. I’m pleased that many states have joined our movement and enacted conversion therapy bans. Now it’s time to end this scam once and for all and pass a federal ban.”
Additional Senate Cosponsors (32): Senators Baldwin, Cardin, Carper, Casey, Coons, Cortez Masto, Durbin, Feinstein, Fetterman, Hirono, Heinrich, Kaine, King, Markey, Merkley, Schatz, Sinema, Whitehouse, Warren, Wyden, Kelly, Smith, Cantwell, Padilla, Klobuchar, Menendez, Blumenthal, Sanders, Hickenlooper, Shaheen, Stabenow, Welch.
Additional House Cosponsors (62): Representatives Casten, Sablan, Sánchez, Bonamici, Pettersen, Stanton, Raskin, Barragán, Morelle, Davids, Titus, Scanlon, Mullin, Kim (NJ), Torres (CA), Jacobs, Moore, Pocan, Quigley, Tokuda, DeSaulnier, Evans, Pingree, Mfume, Fletcher, Doggett, Correa, Lynch, Panetta, Napolitano, Moulton, Smith (WA), Cartwright, Bera, Crockett, Phillips, Scholten, DeGette, Gomez, Craig, Jayapal, Balint, Pressley, Auchinloss, Garcia (TX), Khanna, Soto, Schakowsky, Norton, Schneider, Garcia (CA), Lee (CA), Kilmer, Blumenauer, Wexton, Leger Fernandez, Torres (NY), Frost, DelBene, Peters, Frankel, Himes
The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act is endorsed by: Congressional Equality Caucus, Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, American Psychological Association, National Association of School Psychologists, Catholics for Choice, National Center for Lesbian Rights, American Academy of Pediatrics, Equality California, National Center for Transgender Equality, and PFLAG National.
Text of the legislation is available HERE.
Additional Quotes of Support:
Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association
“States and counties across the nation—and a growing number of countries—have taken steps to end harmful sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts. In 2009, APA published a groundbreaking report that evaluated all available research on these practices and concluded that they don’t work as portrayed and can cause harm. Research since then has only reinforced that finding. The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act protects LGBTQ+ adolescents and adults by making it unlawful for anyone, especially those with no mental health training, from engaging in these practices. The bill would expand current bans around the U.S. that only apply to licensed mental health providers.”
Mathew Shurka, Co-Founder of Born Perfect, the National Center for Lesbian Rights’ campaign to end conversion therapy
“We support this critical bill, which makes it clear that therapists who defraud vulnerable LGBTQ youth and adults are violating federal law. Conversion therapy causes serious economic as well as psychological harm, and federal law should protect those who are harmed by it.”
Dr. Celeste M. Malone, National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) President
“The National Association of School Psychologists applauds Representative Lieu’s and Senator Murray’s leadership in reintroducing the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act. Research has consistently demonstrated that conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people is not only exceptionally harmful, but also completely ineffective. As school-based mental health professionals, we have a legal, moral, and ethical obligation to optimize the mental health and academic success of all students, including LGBTQ+ students. This bill will assist in these efforts and help protect children and youth from invalidating and traumatizing practices.”
Kasey Suffredini, Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project
“LGBTQ young people deserve to live authentically as who they are and be protected from the dangerous and discredited practices of ‘conversion therapy.’ This so-called ‘therapy’ is condemned by every prominent professional medical and mental health association in America and associated with poor mental health outcomes and greater suicide risk. We applaud the reintroduction of the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which will help protect LGBTQ young people across the country from being subjected to these harmful practices and sends them a message that they are valued, seen, and celebrated for exactly who they are.”
Catholics for Choice President Jamie L. Manson, M.Div.
“Catholics for Choice is proud to endorse the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act and immensely grateful to Rep. Ted Lieu and Sen. Patty Murray—both pro-choice Catholics—for introducing the first-ever federal bill to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ which falsely promises to change an individual’s intrinsic sexual orientation or gender identity. This bill helps to promote freedom of religion for those of us who believe that LGBTQ+ people are made in the image and likeness of God, and freedom for LGBTQ+ folks and allies from religion-based bigotry falsely disguised as ‘therapy’—because lies in the name of the Lord are lies nonetheless. We call on Congress to protect the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being of LGBTQ+ people by passing this lifesaving legislation as soon as possible.”
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