Dear Jim,
Conversion therapy has been debunked as junk science by the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. There's no scientific evidence that it works. But, more important, there's a host of evidence that it hurts those who suffer through it, leading to depression and even suicide in some cases.
We now have an opportunity to ensure that gay Pennsylvania children and teens are no longer subjected to this irresponsible pseudoscience. That's why I started my own campaign on CREDOMobilize.com, which allows activists to start their own petitions. My petition, which is to Gov. Tom Corbett, members of the Pennsylvania Senate, and members of the Pennsylvania House, says the following:
Pass legislation that prohibits the use of conversion therapy for minors in Pennsylvania.
As a gay man and as the founder and president of Marriage Equality for Pennsylvania, I've met a number of gays and lesbians who have experienced the pain of so-called conversion therapy, and I've seen the results firsthand.
Fortunately, Pennsylvania state legislators have already taken steps to prevent further harm. This year, state Reps. Brian Sims and Gerald Mullery announced that they plan to introduce a bill that would ban the use of this dangerous treatment on youth in Pennsylvania.
Already, both New Jersey and California have banned this practice on minors. There's no reason Pennsylvania children and teens should continue to suffer by undergoing this dangerous and predatory form of therapy. The fact that this practice is still legal in our state suggests to potential clients and their caretakers that it is an acceptable form of treatment, rather than a threat to their well-being.
With national momentum on our side, now is the perfect time to let our legislators know that we want them to support Reps. Sims' and Mullery's bill to ban conversion therapy for minors in Pennsylvania. If enough people like you join me and take action, we can show the broad spectrum of support for the bill and make it clear to our legislators that we want them to put the well-being of children before personal bias.
Thank you for your support.
David Moore
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