Conversion therapy is a highly controversial practice of attempting to “convert” a gay or lesbian child’s sexual orientation or gender identity to being “straight,” using therapy. The practice has been condemned by the Human Rights Campaign, the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association.

Many young people who’ve experienced the process have spoken out about how harmful it was for them. Additionally, numerous suicides have been documented as being the result of trauma experienced during conversion therapy. All in all, it is a subject that divides people in the same way that abortion, gay rights, and politics divide people. But the state of Michigan is currently considering outlawing conversion therapy for minors.

House Representative Adam Zemke has proposed House Bill 5550, which would ban LGBTQ children and teens from attending conversion therapy programs. Representative Tim Sneller cosigned the bill, saying that it was a form of therapy that had been debunked and was known to cause depression and even suicidal thoughts.

According to Representative Darrin Camilleri, who also supported the bill, “The attorney general is uniquely situated with the power and duty to prevent those that sponsor this workshop from targeting families and young people and scamming them out of their hard-earned money for a practice that has no basis in science.”

Numerous studies have shown that conversion therapy has overwhelmingly negative results.

He went on to say that conversion therapy was an “inappropriate and destructive practice” that has no place in our communities. “Rather than trying to change each other, we must instead come together to accept and appreciate our differences, and realize that those differences are what makes our state stronger.”

If passed, the bill would prohibit any and all mental health professionals in Michigan from participating in any type of therapy aimed at changing the sexual orientation or gender identity of a minor. Should this bill become law, Michigan would become the tenth state in the United States that have outlawed conversion therapy for minors.

As attorneys who deal with child abuse cases on a regular basis, we do not believe it is our right to decide whether or not conversion therapy is abusive to children. What we do believe, very strongly, is that a parent should have the right to raise their children as they see fit, with as little interference from the state as possible.

If you or a loved one have been accused of abusing a child because your ideas about parenting don’t mesh with the state’s, call The Kronzek Firm today at 866 766 5245. Our skilled child abuse defense attorneys have spent decades helping the parents of Michigan defend their parenting rights and protect their families. We can help you too!