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In 2020, when State Rep. Ashley Hinson was running for United States Congress, she made an appearance on “Rainbow Forum” with the extreme group GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce (also known as “Iowa Safe Schools”).

We are revisiting this interview Hinson did with the group in light of her vote in support of legislation to codify homosexual marriage and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. In addition, that legislation will mean Iowa may have to accept whatever California or New York defines as marriage. And it may cost churches and ministries their tax-exempt status if they follow a biblical definition of marriage.

What should also concern Iowans — especially parents — is her support for banning conversion therapy. Hinson told GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce in 2020 she doesn’t believe conversion therapy is something minors should be able to access.

Conversion therapy is when a parent takes a minor or a minor wants to speak with a licensed healthcare professional about same-sex attraction or gender confusion. There is a national effort to ban conversion therapy for minors, which would prohibit this treatment unless the healthcare professional affirms the confusion.

“I don’t think it should be used on minors,” Hinson said. “I don’t support it. I think, you know, if you’re 18 you can make your own decision, but when it comes to kids, like, that’s something we need to protect. Everybody should have a fair shake. And I do think there is a lot of learning still to be done on this issue around the state of Iowa. I know you’ve been working about that, um, working on that throughout the state.

“So I think it’s an issue that’s, it’s a no-brainer for me to be able to say it, not afraid to say it.”

Keep in mind in 2020 the Republican Party of Iowa platform said:

“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.”

And:

“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.”

Banning conversion therapy obviously flies in the face of those principles.

Hinson did, however, vote against the Equality Act in February of 2021 as she said it “threatens religious liberty.”

She also criticized the Linn-Mar School District’s policy on gender plans and keeping them secret from parents.

But with her vote to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and codify homosexual marriage, it’s hard to know exactly what is what.

The Iowa Standard reached out to Hinson’s office asking if she still supports banning conversion therapy for minors. If we receive a response we will publish it.

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