Pacific Justice Institute Outraged By Bill Which Would Prevent “Ex-Gay” Hucksters From Hurting Children

Brad Dacus of the extremist Pacific Justice Institute is complaining about a bill in California which would prevent kids from being victimized by “ex-gay” therapy. Here is a brief overview of the bill:

The law does not outright ban all ex-gay therapy, but it does prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from undergoing sexual orientation change efforts. It also requires that any prospective patient sign an informed consent form that includes the following disclaimer:

Having a lesbian, gay, or bisexual sexual orientation is not a mental disorder. There is no scientific evidence that any types of therapies are effective in changing a person’s sexual orientation. Sexual orientation change efforts can be harmful. The risks include, but are not limited to, depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior.
Medical and mental health associations that oppose the use of sexual orientation change efforts include the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Counseling Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Bills like this are a reflection of the reality-based community, where we know with 100% certainty that “reparative” therapy is not effective, and is often harmful. This is why no adult medical or mental health organization supports it.

Here is Brad Dacus, screaming about it:

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), one of several groups who testified against the bill last week, said the bill’s anti-conservative bias was extreme even by California’s standards.

“I can honestly say this is one of the most outrageous, speech-chilling bills we have ever seen in California – and that’s saying a lot,” said Dacus, who told LifeSiteNews.com that the bill is “a child’s welfare issue.”

Dacus pointed out that clinical evidence has shown that sexual molestation and other trauma at an early age can lead to sexual confusion. “To deprive these young people of quality psychiatric counseling and therapy is a gross and outrageous violation against humanity,” he said.

If using proven facts to prevent people from  hurting kids amounts to “anti-conservative” bias, so be it. Just as Christian Scientist parents can be held accountable for not getting their kids treatment for things like cancer, this is an important step toward protecting kids from being subjected to potentially life-destroying “therapy,” simply because their parents can’t handle the real world. The bill is indeed a “child welfare issue,” Brad — it’s protecting kids from people like you.

One more thing. Let’s take a moment to lambaste the shoddy journalism of Kathleen Gilbert, who wrote this article for LifeSiteNews:

Dr. Robert Spitzer, who was in charge of the DSM change, reversed his position on therapy for unwanted same-sex attraction nearly 30 years later to support such therapy based on his own research.

Yes, Kathleen, and just a few weeks ago, he retracted that study as being scientifically unsound and full of holes. One would think an honest journalist would want to inform her readers of that little tidbit of information.