Press Releases

SEATTLE – Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) spoke out against so-called “conversion therapy,” which is considered harmful by medical, education, social work and mental health professionals.

DelBene helped introduce the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act (H.R. 2450), which would classify for-profit conversion therapy as fraudulent under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The bill also prohibits advertisements claiming a practitioner can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It only affects for-profit practitioners of conversion therapy, providing protections for religious liberty and freedom of speech.

“Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender don’t need a ‘cure,’ they need equality under the law,” DelBene said. “This legislation is an important step toward protecting the LGBT community and their families from the fraudulent promises of conversion.”

Daniel Cords, a Seattle resident who was placed in conversion therapy after he came out at age 14, joined DelBene to speak about the harmful and ineffective nature of the practice.

“When I came out of the closet at 14, my parents rejected it. But the ‘it’ unfortunately, was me. Nothing could save me – not the rock in my shoe, which poked me every minute of every day so that I knew not to think gay thoughts. Not the cross in my pocket, which I was told to grab when I had gay thoughts,” Cords said. “So confused and scared, I slumped into a terrible depression because I could not change. Conversion therapy was hell for me and I can only beg you to stop it in its tracks.”

State Senator Marko Liias (Lynnwood) has sponsored similar legislation in the state legislature.

“I was disappointed this last legislative session when, despite strong bipartisan support in the House, the Republican majority in the Senate killed legislation that was designed to protect kids from electric shock, ice baths, and other physical and emotional abuse, simply because they're gay,” Liias said. “Every single medical association that has reviewed these practices has condemned them. We should listen to the experts and protect our kids from harm. I am proud to stand with Congresswoman DelBene as she works to ban conversion therapy nationwide.”
 

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