I could be wrong – but I think this is the first time the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles has ever issued a political Action Alert! This ramp up in activism is not unusual, given their long and deep commitment to using music to promote diversity education through its Music Alive Project. “Every year over 85% of LGBT students in American schools are physically or verbally abused. For over thirty years GMCLA has used music to overcome prejudice. Now we’re using song to teach acceptance and equality in schools,” GMCLA says on its website. Here’s the Action Alert from new Executive Director Chris Verdugo:
The California State Assembly made history this week by passing a landmark bill that will ban psychological abuse inflicted on LGBT young people by deceitful mental health professionals who falsely claim to be able change their sexual orientation or gender expression.
Senate Bill 1172—authored by Senator Ted Lieu—will stop mental health professionals from harming young people with this dangerous practice. Now we need to tell Governor Brown to sign the bill into law! And this is where you come in.
Opponents of equality have already launched a well-funded attack on the bill, spreading deceptive fictions that all stem from the idea that being LGBT is a disease in need of a cure. We’ve all seen how their fringe attacks have hurt us in the past, and we can’t let that happen again.
No other young person should ever be shamed by a mental health professional into thinking that who they are is bad, and you can help protect them by calling or emailing the governor now!
Tell the governor that LGBT youth do not need to be “cured,” and that SB 1172 will stop deceitful practitioners of this psychological abuse.
Sincerely,
Chris Verdugo
Executive Director
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Call the Governor and Urge Him to Protect LGBT Young People from Psychological Abuse. Please, pick up the phone and call the Governor’s office right now. Follow the prompts to support SB 1172.
1. Dial 916.445.2841
2. Press 1 to continue in English.
3. Press 6 to speak with a representative of Governor Jerry Brown’s office.
4. Voice your support for SB 1172, the bill banning dangerous psychological abuse of minors.
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Thank you so much for supporting SB1172 and asking people to call Governor Brown. This bill is near and dear to my heart — I went through this psychologically abusive practice as a teenager trying to change my sexual orientation and now as a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (#mfc39252) I’ve provided therapy to many people who have also been abused by this practice.
As one of the witnesses who testified in front of the State Assembly Committee advocating for this bill, I urge you to call the Governor. It makes a huge difference. We need to protect our LGBT youth from this form of child abuse that is directed at them.