***NEWS
RELEASE***
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2016
CONTACT
Luke Taylor, Equality And Justice For All
2016
Republican Party Platform Calls for Therapy Rights for Minors and Families
Equality And Justice For All Praises Republican Party for their Respect for
Client’s Rights, Calls on Party to Enact Protective Legislation in 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Equality And Justice For All, whose #TherapyEquality campaign has advocated for families and
their minor children that experience unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA) and
gender identity confusion, praised Republicans today as they adopted a National
Platform this week in Cleveland, OH that calls for the protection of medical
treatment and therapy rights for families, parents, and their minor children.
The official
Republican Platform document, released on Monday at the National Convention in
Cleveland, OH reads (in-part):
“We support the right of parents to determine the proper medical
treatment and therapy for their minor children.”
The language occurs
on page 37, under the section titled: “Great American Families, Education,
Healthcare, and Criminal Justice”, subsection: “Protecting Individual
Conscience in Healthcare.”
Christopher Doyle,
licensed professional counselor and spokesperson for Equality and Justice For All (www.equalityandjusticeforall.org), a leading civil
rights organization for the ex-gay community that promotes fair and equitable
laws and policies to protect the general welfare of parents and their minor
children who experience unwanted SSA and/or gender identity confusion, said the
following:
“We commend and
congratulate Republican leaders and Delegates gathering in Cleveland this week
for standing up for children, parents, and families. This great nation was
built on the freedom of conscience, free choice, and the right of
self-determination. As Republicans from all over the country reaffirm those
principles of liberty, we are thrilled that they have placed #TherapyEquality
on their agenda for 2016! We encourage Republicans to lead the charge to enact
legislation to protect the therapy rights for marginalized and discriminated
clients, and their families, who have been stripped of their rights in several
states, cities, and municipalities in the last four years. Together, we can
restore freedom to all those who seek help and healing.”
Doyle added that while
gay activists have succeeded in passing laws in five states and several
municipalities to prohibit licensed therapy for minors who seek to resolve
unwanted SSA and/or gender identity confusion, it is important to note that
twenty states in the last four years have rejected such legislation, including:
Connecticut, New Hampshire, Arizona, Georgia,
West Virginia, Nevada, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa,
Colorado, Virginia, Washington, Florida, Texas, New York, Massachusetts,
Maryland, and Hawaii.
“Over 100,000 medical and mental health professionals representing the American
Association of Christian Counselors, Catholic Medical Association, American
College of Pediatricians, Christian Medical Association, Freedom2Care, Alliance
for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity, and the International Network
of Orthodox Jewish Mental Health Professionals support the rights of clients
to pursue therapy to overcome unwanted SSA and gender identity confusion. It is
now time for Republicans to urge lawmakers in states across the country to
support these professionals who respectfully and ethically work with families
and minors to help them achieve their goals.”
Equality
And Justice For All is the only civil rights organization that works to
further the general welfare of the ex-gay community by promoting fair and
equitable laws and policies protecting their rights. By furthering individual self-determination
and liberty for former homosexuals, the organization strives to reduce bigoted
representations of the ex-gay sexual orientation status, ensuring that ex-gays
and their friends and families can be open, honest, safe and respected in a diverse
society.
Equality
And Justice For All also advocates for homosexuals with unwanted
same-sex attractions, endeavoring to increase fairness and equitable treatment
for former homosexuals, and help communities overcome the effects of prejudice
and intolerance against gays who no longer want to live out a gay identity. Equality And Justice For All conducts
public education and outreach to further individual self-determination and
respect for all Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation.
