March, 2018
Addendum:
Once again our bills failed in party line votes in both chambers. While we came closer this year than we have in others, it will take more effort and work to move this issue through the General Assembly and on to the Governor’s desk. We don’t mind the effort. We’ll be back, working to protect our children from this dangerous and useless “treatment.” We owe it to our kids to fight for them. We want to thank the sponsors and our friends at Equality Virginia, The Trevor Project and Born Perfect for their help and support. Most of all we want to thank the brave survivors who came forward again this year to tell their stories.
This fight is far from over and we are looking at other options that may bypass the roadblocks set up in the legislature. Stay tuned.
January, 2018
As we have in the past, APV has introduced legislation in both houses of the 2018 Virginia General Assembly to end the practice of so called Conversion, or Sexual Orientation Change Therapy on minors in the commonwealth by clinicians lisensed in Virginia. Conversion Therapy seeks to “cure” LGBTQ people. It is medically useless, psychologically dangerous and emotionally crushing. It needs to stop, NOW!
Our Senate bill, SB245, sponsored by Senator Scott Surovell, (Arlington), is before the crucial Senate Education and Health committee tomorrow morning. If you live in Virginia, please contact your state Senator and ask that they support SB245! If you have a Senator who is on this committee list, please contact them and ask that they vote in favor of this important legislation.
Tell them no one with a medical/clinical license in Virginia should be using that authority to damage children with quack medicine. You can not cure what is not an illness!
