One of the more challenging things in reporting on happenings from the state legislature is remaining quiet during subcommittee hearings. But thankfully, there’s a platform for me to reach thousands of Iowans every day here at The Iowa Standard.
Wednesday’s subcommittee on banning conversion therapy for minors really irritated me. After seeing Republicans Chris Cournoyer and Bobby Kaufmann had talked at a fundraiser hosted by GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Task Force to ban conversion therapy late last year, I made a few calls around the state.
I asked some mental health providers for information on therapists who provide conversion therapy. Nobody knew of any.
I’m going to pose a series of questions that I’d like legislators, specifically Republican legislators giving credibility to this movement to ban conversion therapy, to consider.
1. Can you name any licensed health care professional who uses conversion therapy in the state of Iowa?
2. Can you cite any credible, substantiated allegation of “torture” conversion therapy in Iowa? By substantiated, I mean it has a police report or civil lawsuit to go along with it. If not one of those, then can the victim at least provide the name of the provider or name of the clinic where this therapy was done?
3. Why do people keep saying Utah “passed” the conversion therapy ban? Utah’s legislature did not pass a conversion therapy ban? Utah’s Governor banned the practice through a new rule, not through the legislative process.
4. Gender ideology advocates heaped praise on the administrative rules adopted by an executive order banning conversion therapy in Utah. But when Rep. Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton) introduced Utah’s exact language, One Iowa and GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce refused to support the bill. How can those groups point to Utah’s success and claim victory and then stand against the same thing here in Iowa?
5. The Republican Party platform states “we believe that traditional, two-parent (one male and one female), marriage-based families are the foundation to a stable, enduring and healthy civilization. Therefore, public policy must always be pro-family in nature, encouraging marital and family commitment, and supportive of the parental rights and responsibilities.
Does banning conversion therapy for minors fall in line with that Republican Party platform plank?
6. Another GOP plank says “we believe that parents are responsible for their children, and we support the rights of parents to be the ultimate authority for the discipline, protection and education of their children.”
Does banning conversion therapy for minors fall in line with that Republican Party platform plank?
7. And one more, “we call for the repeal of sexual orientation as a protected class in the Iowa Civil Rights Code and reject any additional similar legislation to local, state or national code.
Does banning conversion therapy for minors fall in line with that Republican Party platform plank?
8. How is it that the state of Iowa can allow pro-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teaching in Iowa’s schools, with the goal being at every grade and in every subject, and then when those innocent children succumb to confusion in terms of gender identity and sexual orientation, the state has the authority to tell parents and health care professionals no, they cannot seek help for the confusion the state was complicit in causing?
9. Everyone I know agrees physically abusive therapy is physical abuse. But the conversion therapy ban was going to ban all therapy, including talk therapy. Well, only if the talk would be encouraging people to reject their confusion. Any therapy that affirmed confusion would still be allowed. Do you really believe the state should ban talk therapy?
10. This question is directed to Democrats. Last week, Democrats were outraged by a couple of bills dealing with abortion. They felt the bills were instructing doctors on what they could or could not say to patients. How does a conversion therapy ban not also limit what doctors can or can’t say to patients? In fact, this is worse because the conversion therapy ban still allowed health care professionals to affirm these confused feelings and ideas.
To compare, it’d be like Republicans filing a bill that only allowed doctors to affirm pro-life feelings.
11. Despite bringing the issue forward, nobody at the subcommittee testified in support of the bill. This means it still wasn’t good enough for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender activist groups.
When will Republicans learn that those groups and those individuals will never, ever, ever, ever support them or vote for them? Ever. Never. They will never be an ally. They will never accept a compromise.
12. Why did a subcommittee on banning conversion therapy for minors receive a subcommittee before a Religious Freedom and Restoration Act in the Iowa House, which is led by Republicans?
13. Are we to believe banning conversion therapy for minors is a bigger priority for Iowa House Republicans than strengthening the religious liberty of Iowans?
14. Were Republicans paying attention? During subcommittee things were obvious — conversion therapy is abuse, people cannot change their sexual orientation or gender identity and religious people should not be exempted. Yikes.
15. What is the constitutional argument for banning conversion therapy?
Now, just some simple yes or no questions.
16. Do you believe people can change their sexual orientation or gender identity?
17. If not, do you believe people who are former homosexuals are liars? If yes, do you believe it is the state’s job to make it more difficult for that change to occur?
18. Do you believe conversion therapy — not physically abusive therapy — but even talk therapy, is abusive?
19. What other topics are licensed health care professionals not allowed to discuss with children if a mom or a dad desire help?
20. Do you believe the state has the right to regulate what concerns a parent can or can’t take a child to a doctor’s office to discuss?
BONUS:
21. If such a bill would ever advance to a floor vote, would you propose an amendment to also ban gender-reassignment treatment for minors in Iowa? After all, if we can’t allow kids to even discuss their gender identity, should we really let them change their gender?
22. Rep. Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City) said that we hurt kids when we try to change them. Does this also apply to when people change a child’s gender identity?
