Here is one news article explaining the situation: http://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2012/06/01/another_outrage_in_california
As you know from my other blog posts, I lead a ministry based here in Texas, but with national outreach and we and many others have already being impacted by this new law that liberals are pushing in all 50 states.
Reparative Therapy and this type of ministry work played a significant role in saving my life and I have been blessed to help many others over the past four years. Recently though, this ministry work has been under attack across the country and in some states Republican legislators and Governors have been silent or complicit in passing these laws.
After California and New Jersey passed these laws last year, I began reaching out to Republican State Legislators and State Senators to discuss the law. In Washington State, the bill flew through their House without any opposition from Republicans, but once we talked with the GOP state senators and they came to understand the full story, they stood up and blocked this awful bill. The same has been the case now for eleven other states.
In each case, it took significant efforts to educate GOP legislators and rally grassroots support before their GOP lawmakers realized the importance of this issue to religious freedom. Since this bill is being introduced in all 50 states, it is a critical and unique addition to the State GOP which is not fully covered by the current language. I presented the resolution and my explanations to the Texas Republican Assembly and the Eagle Forum and they both agreed and endorsed this resolution. I would have asked for other endorsements as well, but I wasn't sure who to contact.
Anyway, I have been told that this issue is one that many people have additional questions about so I drafted this brief packet to supplemental information explaining the reasons behind this platform amendment.
If (by chance) you are a delegate or alternate to the upcoming Republican State Convention here in Texas this weekend, please take a moment to review. This was approved unanimously by the Platform Committee and will be presented for approval by the full convention this coming Saturday. I will be there and I really hope I can count on your support for this important platform amendment. If you are in another state (or party), I would love to talk with you about how you can adapt this for your upcoming state convention and party platform. This shouldn't be only a GOP or Texas issue. Hopefully, we can ALL agree on the importance of protecting Free Speech and the Freedom of Relgion for ALL.
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2014
RPT Platform Amendment Resolution Supporting the Right to Reparative Therapy / SOCE
1)
Proposed
Platform Amendment
2)
Why
this platform amendment is crucial for protecting free speech and religious
freedom in Texas.
3)
What
is “Reparative Therapy” and “SOCE” (Sexual Orientation Change Efforts)?
4)
Original
(long version) of the resolution – includes additional “whereases” intended to inform
5)
Letters
from Psychologists and therapists in Texas and California.
6)
Final version endorsed by the Texas Republican
Assembly and Eagle Forum (same “Therefore”
fewer “whereases”)
1)
Proposed
Platform Amendment
“SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO REPARATIVE
THERAPY
We call upon all elected officials in the State of Texas to ensure that
licensed therapists, psychologists and counselors in the state of Texas cannot
be forbidden or penalized by any licensing board for practicing reparative
therapy and supporting clients of any age with sexual orientation change
efforts.
We support the rights of self-motivated teens and urge the passage of laws to protect
the right to self-determination by those who experience Unwanted Same-Sex
Attraction and seek to live out their values of chastity and/or restoration to
heterosexuality.”
2)
Why this
platform amendment is crucial for protecting free speech and religious freedom
in Texas.
Activists have drafted a bill to be
introduced in all 50 states which will ban or severely restrict access to
Reparative Therapy and all other SOCE (Sexual Orientation Change Efforts) including
religious counseling. A similar bill is
currently under review in the British Parliament which goes much further. A version of the bill will be introduced in
the Texas legislature during the next term.
