UPDATE: This bill passed both the House and Senate! It now has to be signed by the Governor.

HOW DID YOUR SENATOR VOTE? This is important and we will try to provide you this information as often as we can to help you with your voting decisions in 2020…

All republican senators supported an amendment to water the bill down again,(happened last year too) and the bill ultimately passed. One Cape Cod Senators did not vote in favor of this bill. He voted, as he’s done in difficult votes in the past, “present,” which means he won’t have to explain to constituents who have supported or opposed this bill with a decisive vote.

Here is the roll call of this vote.

REMEMBER HOW YOUR SENATOR VOTED IN 2020.

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There is organized opposition to this bill, so we needed your voices! Please send an email or make a call before the vote on Thursday.

We have learned that the MA State Senate will vote on this bill Thursday. It is first on their agenda for the session that begins at 12 Noon.  Please send a quick email or leave a phone message asking your State Senator to support this bill. Your messages makes a major difference! Our voices let our legislators know we are watching and we care. 

The bill, H140/S70: An Act relative to abusive practices to change sexual orientation and gender identity in minors, would make harmful “conversion therapy” for minors, illegal.

Please contact your Senator, find contact information for Cape Cod and Islands districts here, for other MA districts here, not sure who your State Rep is? Check here.

The ask is simple, please vote “yes” to make conversion therapy illegal in MA.

Let us know when you send an email or leave a message and if you hear back from your Rep by leaving a message here in comments, on our Facebook page (the pinned post at the top of the page.) After the vote we will let you know how your Senator voted as soon as the roll call is available.

What is conversion therapy and why is it considered damaging to minors?

Conversion therapy is intervention therapy designed to change a minor’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The Human Rights Commission has gathered a long list of medical organizations positions on conversion therapy here, (downloadable version here) including:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The AACAP Policy on “Conversion Therapies” (2018), available at https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Policy_Statements/2018/Conversion_Therapy.aspx.

“The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry finds no evidence to support the application of any “therapeutic intervention” operating under the premise that a specific sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression is pathological. Furthermore, based on the scientific evidence, the AACAP asserts that such “conversion therapies” (or other interventions imposed with the intent of promoting a particular sexual orientation and/or gender as a preferred outcome) lack scientific credibility and clinical utility. Additionally, there is evidence that such interventions are harmful. As a result, “conversion therapies” should not be part of any behavioral health treatment of children and adolescents.”

The only other New England state where conversion therapy is still legal is Maine because Governor LePage vetoed the bill to ban it last year.

Last year, the House passed a bill that would ban conversion therapy for minors in MA.  Because amendments and changes were made that meant the House bill was not the same as a Senate bill, and the Senate vote was at the last minute, the bill was not processed in time. For a the full story about the failure of last year’s bill see this excellent article in The New Boston Post.

 

 

 

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(If you see errors or omissions please contact CapeCodWomenforChange@gmail.com)

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