Gaylesta News

Announcing: Gaylesta Scholarships

Iain Jasko — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 21:46:31 GMT

Dear Gaylesta Community,

We are happy to share some exciting news that reflects our ongoing commitment to care for, uplift, and support one another. The Gaylesta Board has created two new scholarship opportunities designed to make our community more accessible and to nurture the professional growth of our members.

1. BIPOC Membership Scholarship

We are offering 5 fully paid one-year Gaylesta memberships (licensed or pre-licensed level) for community members who identify as BIPOC and who are either joining Gaylesta for the first time or returning after time away. Our hope is that this scholarship helps reduce barriers and warmly brings more voices, perspectives, and experiences into our shared community.

Click here to apply for the BIPOC Membership Scholarship

2. Professional Development Scholarship – $500

We are offering 2 needs-based $500 scholarships that can be used toward attending a conference or professional training. This opportunity is open to anyone in our membership community. We recognize that continued learning can be both inspiring and financially challenging, and we hope this support helps open doors for those who need it.

Click here to apply for the Professional Development Scholarship

Both scholarships will begin in 2026, and applications are due by February 15.

We warmly invite current members to share these opportunities with colleagues who might benefit. One of our strengths as a community is how we look out for one another, and your help in spreading the word makes a meaningful difference.

If questions come up, please feel free to reach out directly to Gaylesta Board Member, Roger Kuhn, who is helping facilitate these initiatives. Roger is available, approachable, and happy to support anyone navigating the application process. roger@rogerjkuhn.com

We also want to extend an additional invitation to recipients of the Professional Development Scholarship: if you feel inspired, the Board would love to welcome you to lead a training based on what you learned. This could be a CE event or a more informal community learning event—whatever feels most aligned and comfortable for you. Should you choose the CE route, Roger can help guide you through the extra steps involved.

Thank you for all the ways you contribute to making Gaylesta a place of connection, care, and shared growth. We’re grateful for this community and excited to see how these scholarships support and strengthen the work we do together.

Warmly and with appreciation,

The Gaylesta Board of Directors

New 2025 Resource! Protecting Trans Californians: Existing Protections and Recommendations for Providers

In light of the recent Executive Orders and rising anti-trans political climate: the Gaylesta Advocacy Committee prepared this document to help members feel empowered in their ability to provide care and be informed about pertinent legislation that may affect mental health providers in the state of California.

Click to open

Gaylesta supports the USJS, a national educational initiative signed by 28 professional associations to end so-called "conversion therapy."

Guy Albert — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 15:08:53 GMT

On National Coming Out Day, an Unprecedented Stand Against LGBTQ+ Conversion Efforts With an Aim to Protect More Americans

For First Time, Leading U.S. Healthcare Provider Associations Jointly Denounce Attempts to Change People’s Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity

WASHINGTON — Oct. 11, 2023— Twenty-eight major U.S. medical and psychological professional associations, representing more than 1.3 million healthcare providers, have joined together to end so-called “conversion therapy” because such efforts are unscientific, ineffective and put individuals at significant risk of harm.

Signatories to the United States Joint Statement aimed at ending “conversion therapy” include the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. This is the first time that so many U.S. medical and mental health associations have agreed to jointly protect the health of LGBTQ+ Americans and they’ve done so on a day (Oct. 11) dedicated to supporting and recognizing those who have come out as LGBTQ+.

USJS leaders say an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has ignited their campaign to recognize that a person is not mentally ill nor developmentally delayed because they experience same-sex attractions or transgender, nonbinary, or diverse gender identities or expressions.

The USJS updates some of the signatory associations’ existing anti-conversion statements by adding a shared framework for more actions. These include: informing the public about the research on conversion efforts and the risks; making healthcare professionals aware of the ethical issues surrounding conversion efforts; and providing greater ethical support to clients in distress over their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The USJS increases the impact of these individual statements by bringing together these 28 associations in a rare and unique collaboration.

Statement as a Foundation for Legal Protection

USJS organizers see the statement as a powerful tool that policymakers can use as leverage as they seek to pass laws prohibiting so-called “conversion therapy” and eliminate the myth that LGBTQ+ individuals can be “cured.” Currently, 22 states, the District of Columbia, and over 115 municipalities have banned such unscientific and harmful practices, and five more states and the territory of Puerto Rico have restricted the use of conversion efforts.

U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) says, “So-called ‘conversion therapy’ is a sham that is dangerous to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Major medical organizations have found that conversion therapy has no basis in science and is entirely illegitimate. I was proud to author the country’s first ban on conversion therapy when I was in the California statehouse because it is a harmful and fraudulent practice based on junk science. I recently reintroduced the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which would place a federal ban on this hateful practice, and I am committed to seeing it signed into law. Everyone deserves dignity, respect and affirmation regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. It’s time to end conversion therapy once and for all.”

James Guay, M.A., L.M.F.T., Co-Chair, Born Perfect Advisory Committee, says, “As a psychotherapist and a survivor of conversion efforts, I can't help but reflect on my own experiences as a teenager. If only there had been a joint statement like the USJS, it might have spared me months of conversion attempts and the subsequent years of damage that this did. The USJS serves as a beacon of awareness and education, shedding light on the devastating consequences of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ My own journey has taught me that these practices not only fail to achieve their misguided goals but also inflict lasting emotional and psychological scars.

“It is my hope that through initiatives like the USJS, we can educate the public and therapists alike, dispelling the misguided notion that conversion attempts have any merit. Therapy is meant to heal trauma, not cause it."

Additional Benefit: Stopping Conversion Efforts Can Save Healthcare Dollars

Beyond the psychological and physical benefits of ending so-called “conversion therapy,” such bans offer the potential for healthcare savings. Research in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that activity to change people’s sexual orientation and gender identities costs the country an estimated $9.23 billion each year.

Guy Albert, Ph.D., USJS co-founder and co-director, says, “This statement conclusively shows that the U.S. medical and psychological community firmly rejects ‘conversion therapy’ as somehow protected ‘speech-based therapy.’ This fake therapy is not the expression of a viewpoint—it’s dangerous and harmful. We all support the emergence of authentic self-acceptance and identity development in sexual and gender minorities. “

Jim Walker, M.A., L.M.F.T., USJS co-founder and co-director, says, “The USJS is an educational framework for partnering associations to generate education against conversion efforts and for LGBTQ-affirming healthcare for years to come. It can also be used legislatively and legally as evidence that the major mental health and medical provider associations stand against conversion efforts and for affirming care. The USJS aims to foster greater acceptance, approval and love for patients struggling to find their authentic selves. Our goal is to increase the patient’s growth towards a more loving embrace of self from within and from the wider world.”

The national associations partnering with the USJS are:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Nursing
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Associates
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy’s Queer and Trans Advocacy Network
American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work
American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists
American College of Physicians
American Counseling Association
American Medical Association
American Medical Student Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychoanalytic Association
American Psychological Association
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Association of Black Psychologists
Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and their Allies
Association of LGBTQ Psychiatrists
Association of Psychology Training Clinics
Clinical Social Work Association
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LBGTQ Equality
LBGT Physician Associates Caucus
National Association of Social Workers
National Latinx Psychological Association
Society of Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities
United States Professional Association for Transgender Health

###

About the United States Joint Statement

The United States Joint Statement is a grassroots initiative and is possible because of the collaboration of many champions within the partnering associations and because of the generous funding of several individual donors and the membership of Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender & Sexual Diversity. Learn more at usjs.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Adam Shapiro

Adam.Shapiro@ASPR.bz

202-427-3603

Gaylesta on Out In The Bay Podcast: How has the past year affected LGBTQ mental health?

Ryan Horvath — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 22:02:50 GMT

How has COVID-19 and the political/societal turmoil over the past year affected LGBTQ mental health? How are we coping?

Longtime Gaylesta members (and co-President) Chelsea DeMarte and Ryan Horvath assess the situation and give coping tips in this March 23 Out in the Bay Podcast.

See BAR article Listen to the podcast

Gaylesta Member Elected as USPath President-Elect

Jay Philip Paul — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 21:02:39 GMT

We are proud to pass on the results of the Officer Elections of USPATH (United States Professional Association for Transgender Health): Gaylesta member, Erica Anderson, PhD, has been named as President-Elect. USPATH is a regional association of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Dr. Anderson is one of Gaylesta's gender specialists with a practice in the East Bay.

Gaylesta Board of Directors' Statement on Trump's Ban on Military Service for Transgender Persons

Jay Philip Paul — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 23:36:52 GMT

We, like many others, were shocked, disappointed and saddened by the tweets of our current president, Donald Trump, on July 26, 2017, announcing a ban on military service “in any capacity” for all transgender persons. His unilateral decision, supposedly based on the “tremendous medical costs and disruption” of transgender service members, involved no consultation with the Secretary of Defense or Congressional leadership. This after tweeting on June 14, 2016: “Thank you to the LGBT community! I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs.” A true step backward for our country, as this action ironically fell on the 69th anniversary of former President Truman’s executive order abolishing racial discrimination in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender & Sexual Diversity stands in support of the transgender community who choose to defend our nation and make the ultimate sacrifice. Our views are echoed by the many organizations that have spoken out against this recent discriminatory action including the American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Transgender Equality, American Counseling Association, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, American Medical Association and countless others that continue to emerge daily. Hopefully these tweets will not, in the long run, impact current policy and law -- given the reaction of some members of Congress and the legal challenges that will be filed as soon as possible. But we also have to look at the fact that hours after Trump’s tweets, the Department of Justice submitted an amicus brief (to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit) arguing that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 offers no protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Tremendous uncertainty remains as to when and who will be affected by further actions of the government. The courage shown by the community is astounding and we ask our members to remain strong, speak up and peacefully protest in all ways we can.

In solidarity,

The Gaylesta Board of Directors

New Mexico Bans Conversion Therapy for Minors

Jay Philip Paul — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 07:00:05 GMT

Yesterday Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico signed Senate Bill 121 into law, barring conversion therapy for minors in New Mexico. The bill was introduced by State Senator Jacob Candelaria, the first openly gay member of the State Legislature. Her comments about the bill underscored the importance of her signature. She said “I do not lightly enact legislation that makes government a party to the medical care decision-making of a parent and child. Yet, at the same time, numerous reputable medical organizations like the American Psychological Association have rebuked this practice, stating it may lead to depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, self-hatred, substance abuse and suicide.” These remarks stand as evidence of the importance of mental health professionals in educating the public about this and other important issues facing the LGBTQ community.

Statement on Orlando

Jeanna Eichenbaum — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 00:51:13 GMT

We, the Board and Membership of Gaylesta, The Psychotherapist Association for Gender and Sexual Diversity, stand in sadness, solidarity and mourning with our communities (LGBTQI and more, particularly Latinx/a/o and other communities of color) in Orlando. Although words cannot fully express the range of feelings this tragedy has created, we offer our love, support, condolences, and our tears. We join with our members, our families and loved ones, and the people of Orlando during this terrible time, and we will continue to work for a more just and peaceful world.

Gaylesta Urges SD Governor to Veto Bill Hostile to Trans Students

Jay Philip Paul — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 03:23:29 GMT

The South Dakota legislature has passed a dangerous bill, HB 1008, that is now on the desk of Governor Dennis Daugaard. This law decrees that "Every restroom, locker room, and shower room located in a public elementary or secondary school that is designated for student use and is accessible by multiple students at the same time shall be designated for and used only by students of the same biological sex." This prevents all trans students from using restrooms which are consistent with their gender identity. This not only stigmatizes trans students, but potentially places them in a hostile environment. Therefore the Gaylesta Board, with Board Member Jeanna Eichenbaum taking the lead, has sent a letter to the Governor, asking him to veto this bill (to read the letter, go to this link). In addition, we would like to alert everyone to a petition on Change.org that also urges him to veto it:

https://www.change.org/p/governor-dennis-daugaard-protect-trans-students-veto-h-b-1008-sdpottypolice

Launched: Gaylesta Project Offering Free Therapy Slots for formerly incarcerated persons.

Jay Philip Paul — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 00:53:50 GMT

Dear Colleagues:
As mentioned in the post-retreat Board report, a Gaylesta team has set up an initiative matching formerly incarcerated people with interested and experienced therapists. We are excited to announce that the project is now under way. The first clients have been matched with therapists – and there are more in the pipeline.

We have now met with three reentry organizations eager to provide clients for services: Project Rebound, at SF State, Waypass at City College, and the Transgender Justice Institute.

Will you consider providing one or two pro bono slots in your caseload for individuals exiting jail or prison? These would include, but not be limited to LGBTQIA clients.

If you would like to get involved, please contact us with any questions or concerns. To make this work, we would appreciate if you can provide us with the following information to guide us in making a good match:

How many slots can you offer?
At what address will you see clients?
What is your availability? Do you have a specific time or times that you may be available?
Within that framework, do you prefer that we set up the initial meeting, or do you prefer that client contact you to set the first session?
Are there any client characteristics or clinical issues that you feel would make an individual an unsuitable match for you?

A consultation group will be available if there is interest.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Judy Siff jsiff@sbcglobal.net
Nathalie Paven npaven@earthlink.net
Did you know that the U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration of any nation in the world (http://www.prisonpolicy.org/global)? That prisoners in the U.S. are overwhelmingly Black or Brown? That one in four Black people will be incarcerated in their life? Sometimes the gravity of social injustice is so vast, that it is difficult to figure out where or how to make a difference. As individuals, many of us choose a path of social justice activism – yet the question remains – is there anything we can do specifically within our profession itself? Although that is more a statement than a question, this project speaks to utilizing our particular skill set in a meaningful way.

Gaylesta Moves Towards A Name Reflective of Our Diversity

Jay Philip Paul — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 01:15:49 GMT

Following the polling of our membership on suggested name changes for our organization, the Gaylesta Board reviewed the results of that survey during our Board Retreat November 7th-8th. None of the suggested names were viewed with much favor by members, but there was consensus about a revision to the tag line of Gaylesta. Therefore, from this point forward we will be known as "Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender and Sexual Diversity." We will continue to explore options for new names.

Gaylesta Board Response to Transphobic Petition

Jay Philip Paul — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 19:55:46 GMT

A recent petition was started by unidentified individuals on Change.org , calling on the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD and others to remove transgender people from the modern LGBT movement. We as an organization reject this hateful and divisive petition. As HRC responded, “We are one movement, stronger in our unity. We are one community, period."

The Board of Gaylesta

Great Cause to Celebrate -- Supreme Court Recognizes Same Sex Marriage as a RIght

Jay Philip Paul — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 15:20:03 GMT

At long last, the Supreme Court of the United States has come out with its ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges, and thanks to the majority opinion (another 5-4 split court decision, with Justice Kennedy writing the opinion and joined by Justices Sotomayor, Ginsberg, Kagan and Breyer) same-sex couples throughout the United States are guaranteed the right to marriage. This opinion eloquently affirms what we might hope would be true of the U.S. Constitution and of this nation. You can read the Supreme Court decision from the link on the Gaylesta website here.

I believe that one of the powerful statements is the following:

"The nature of injustice is that we may not always see it in our own times. The generations that wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment did not presume to know the extent of freedom in all of its dimensions, and so they entrusted to future generations a charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning. When new insight reveals discord between the Constitution’s central protections and a received legal stricture, a claim to liberty must be addressed."

Kennedy reaffirms the importance of the Court in moving certain issues beyond political debates and majority legislative votes to established legal principles.

We have much to celebrate this weekend! Not only this, but the victory in New Jersey, where a jury ruled against JONAH ("Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing"), and found "conversion therapy" to be bogus and abusive, meeting the State's definition of consumer fraud. That decision may be the beginning of the end of "conversion therapy" for adults as well as minors.

Update on Effort to Create a Joint Statement by U.S. Professional Associations Against "Conversion Therapy"

Jay Philip Paul — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 20:05:41 GMT

Dear Gaylestans,

Guy Albert and Jim Walker offer this midyear update about our efforts since our presentation to the Mental Health Liaison Group and our meetings with the American Psychological Association and Congressional staffers in April in Washington, DC. Guy and Jim have been engaged in extensive outreach to national organizations asking them to join our workgroup whose purpose is to issue a joint statement declaring “conversion therapy” unethical and harmful for anyone. Our hope is that all the major medical and psychological bodies in the U.S. will join us.

Our workgroup already includes representatives from AASECT, NASW, ACA, The Trevor Project, HRC, National Association of School Psychologists, the LGBT-Affirmative Therapist Guild of Utah, American Psychoanalytic Association and Clinical Social Work Association. We continue doing intensive outreach with the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association, AMA, SAMSHA, the Surgeon General, the American Academy of Nursing and other major national organizations hoping they will join us.

If you have contacts in key national health organizations who could help us with our outreach, please contact us.

Major national health organizations declaring conversion therapy unethical and harmful would be greatly beneficial. It would provide guidance to the public and would contribute to more extensive legal protections. Those protections would come on state and federal levels. For example, our effort would lend substantial support to Congressman Ted Lieu’s Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which faces many hurdles in Congress. https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-lieu-announces-therapeutic-fraud-prevention-act

Ted Lieu was the California state senator who introduced the bill several years ago that became the law protecting youth from conversion therapy in California by licensed providers. The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act and our joint national statement are aimed at protecting everyone from the unethical, harmful and fraudulent practices of conversion therapy whether it is focused on sexual orientation, gender identity or both.

Jim Walker, LMFT

Email Jim

Guy Albert, PhD

Email Guy

Gaylesta Members in Washington DC to Press for Joint Statement Condemning "Conversion Therapy"

Jay Philip Paul — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 03:30:08 GMT

Jim Walker and Guy Albert, two members of Gaylesta's Advocacy Committee, traveled to Washington DC to give a presentation on April 3rd to the Mental Health Liaison Group, a consortium of mental health-related professional organizations in the U.S. Their aim was to advocate for these organizations to join together in condemning "sexual orientation change efforts" (SOCE) or "conversion therapy" as unethical. Their presentation was well-received and we are confident that dialogue has begun among representatives from these concerned organizations to yield such a statement. The abstract of their presentation is reproduced below; if interested, the PowerPoint presentation may also be viewed by clicking on the link below the abstract:

“Conversion therapy” or “reparative therapy” are a hodgepodge of change efforts misnamed as therapy. They are meant to help people suffering from unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA) and gender dysphoria. Even practitioners of these methods have difficulty demonstrating that what they do is ethically and theoretically sound. “Conversion” practices are harming people in noticeable numbers. In 2015, the major healthcare organizations of the United Kingdom issued a joint Memorandum of Understanding declaring “conversion therapy” unethical. Their memorandum also signaled collaborations across organizations for improved healthcare education. Action in the U.K. offers U.S. healthcare associations a potential model for addressing significant harms in a complex therapeutic environment. We ask all MHLG member associations to join a working group to produce a U.S. equivalent of the U.K.’s joint collaborations.

To access the PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file:

http://www.gaylesta.org:80/resources/Documents/Toward-a-Joint-Statement.pdf

To access the PowerPoint presentation (this is a large file):

http://www.gaylesta.org:80/resources/Documents/Toward-a-Joint-Statement.pptx

Gaylesta Board Approves New Code of Ethical Principles for Members

Jay Philip Paul — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 23:48:14 GMT

At its meeting on January 11th, the Gaylesta Board of Directors approved a Code of Ethical Principles for its members. As of today, it may be found on the Gaylesta website.

The Board encourages you to review it; we feel it articulates Gaylesta's beliefs and principles with respect to the practice of psychotherapy with LGBTQIQA clients. The effort to develop a Gaylesta Code of Ethical Principles was initiated by Board member Judy Siff. The code was co-authored by her and Jay Paul, with input from other members of the Board. It may be reached via the drop-down menu under "About", or you may go directly to it by clicking on this link: http://gaylesta.org/code-of-ethics

Solidarity Statement for Current Social Injustice Protests

Myles Downes — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 15:02:37 GMT

Part of Gaylesta’s charter is to “promote awareness among mental health workers of cross-cultural issues such as race/ethnicity, age, ability, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, and class.”

Gaylesta stands in solidarity with the organizations and individuals who are voicing their concerns about the social injustices of our time. Along with those who are nonviolently protesting, we grieve the early deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and other people of color who have died due to excessive force from the police. As LGBTQ mental health professionals, we know the cost of inequality and we acknowledge and honor the grief, anger, and frustration that is being felt at this time. We urge clinicians to educate themselves as to the institutionalized racism embedded in our society and to support the growing movement to demand its eradication.

To find out more about the movement that is underway, go to Blacklivesmatter.com.

Gaylesta Board of Directors and Advocacy Committee

Statements in Support of Beth Greivel's Proposal To CAMFT To Condemn SOCE

Jay Philip Paul — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 03:07:22 GMT

Statement by Beth Greivel:

Thank you for this time to speak. I’m Elizabeth Greivel, and I’m the author of the proposal to ban the practice of sexual orientation change efforts, or SOCE for short, in the Code of Ethics. My motivation for being here today is rooted in four years of volunteer work for the GLBT National Hotline, where during every shift I would hear callers who, because of fear of rejection or abuse, found it safer to talk to a stranger than their loved ones or therapists about their sexual orientations or gender identities. Many of these callers had suffered from or were in the middle of SOCE therapies, and the despair they felt was palpable over the telephone lines, that their therapists did not understand a core notion of their humanity.

It can be difficult to grasp the concept of SOCE and how much they hurt the LGBTQIQA population. Let me offer a metaphor I’ve found helpful.

Imagine that we as a society are uncomfortable with those who are tall. People under 5’ 10” are okay, but those over 6’? They’re just too tall. They make up less than 10% of the population, but we think that they expect too much special treatment. Specially made clothes ... basketball is just flaunting things. They say tallness is all biology, but throughout history, people were shorter. Is it genetics? Do they eat too many vegetables?

If Michael Jordan grew up in that environment, he'd be a pariah. His therapist might have to fight internal biases to make sure Michael was supported as he naturally is. I would certainly hope Michael would not end up in an SOCE-like therapy where he was encouraged to stoop or even crawl to make everyone else feel more comfortable with his natural height.

This is the essence of SOCE. Individuals are in pain because social or religious values have told them that an integral part of who they are is inadequate or deviant. Then they are met with insidious efforts where "change" means making an individual feel worse about themselves for being different, and being encouraged to act like someone they are not. The net result being an increased risk of depression and suicidality.

I have two requests.

Push the proposal I submitted to ban SOCE in the Code of Ethics through the Ethics Committee as quickly as possible. We have the opportunity to be at the forefront of mental health organizations by banning these harmful practices that do not work.
In the interim, accept the excellent proposed SOCE statement Ms. Atkins drafted, and strengthen it so that it is clear that it applies to ALL AGES, and that the onus of responsibility for checking bias is on the therapist, not the client or patient. Every other mental health organization has done at least this, and our credibility are undermined by not meeting the Standard of Practice.

Lives are at stake here. Members of CAMFT are actively causing harm. Therapists who have admitted in writing to practicing SOCE on minors have been referred to CAMFT under our current Code of Ethics, and have not been found in violation.

Whether it’s a minor or an adult -- SOCE are false and harmful practices not worthy of the name Marriage and Family Therapist, and CAMFT needs to do more to protect the LGBTQIQA population. This is a clinical issue.

Statement by James Guay:

CAMFT needs to prioritize the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer clients undefined sexual and gender minorities undefined over the income and licensure of psychotherapists who are harming them. Therapist should not be protected when they recklessly abandon their basic tenet of “do no harm,” misuse therapeutic tools to harm their clients and exhibit extreme prejudice in doing so.

Therapists are not in the business of helping our clients become more fake, inauthentic, or to deceive themselves or others. We are in the business of healing and growth, of compassion and authenticity.

California State’s Legislature, Governor, and Supreme Court, along with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and US Supreme Court in addition to all other major professional association, have sided on the rights/protections of LGBTQ youth from psychotherapists using sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE).

CAMFT undefined as a professional association for MFT’s, not a legislative or judicial body undefined can and should go an important step further to make a strong statement against the use of SOCE on minors AND adults. Fraudulent and abusive practices are fraudulent and abusive practices, regardless of the age of the client. There is more than enough evidence and support out there for CAMFT to take action. There doesn’t need to be a special committee or resources used within CAMFT to figure out that this is an ineffective and harmful practice.

There is no slippery slope here in regulating theoretical orientations or treatment modalities because SOCE is abusive, culturally incompetent and treating a “non-existent disorder” that is no longer in the DSM. SOCE therapists prey on their clients’ internalized homophobia to try and effect change. They misappropriate psychological language and social justice terminology to advocate harming LGBTQ clients and it needs to stop. CAMFT needs to send a strong message that this practice is no longer permissible. The public also needs to be protected from the exploitative teaching of SOCE to other clinicians.

There are several benefits for CAMFT making a strong & bold statement against SOCE for youth AND adults. These include:

Increased credibility & legitimacy (aka public trust) of MFT’s for being in synch with the most current scientific research available;
Increased institutional and professional integrity when we prioritize client/public protection over clinician’s income or practice;
Increased institutional cultural competence and value provided to LGBTQ clients, therapists and their allies;
and, increased time-savings and better allocation of resources when demonstrating pro-active ethical integrity.

This isn’t about politics, this is about protection. It is unacceptable to use the excuse that CAMFT is a slow moving organization and that small steps are sufficient.

Be bold.

Protecting clients protects legitimate and responsible clinicians. I urge you to come out strongly against SOCE on minors AND adults! Anything less is negligent and harmful.

Let’s move forward in the right direction, together.

Statement by Jim Walker:

My name is Jim Walker and I deeply appreciate speaking today.

I’m passionate that no shame or prejudice is inflicted by our profession on LGBTQ people.

Recently I worked with a client who deeply regretted trying SOCE.

Several years before starting therapy with me, his son came out to him and his mother. My client told him he disapproved. He told him he was sinning.

At the same time he hurt her so much, he struggled constantly with his same-sex attractions. Being very involved in his church was at the center of his life. He knew others in his church struggled with being gay and bi. He tried SOCE with a psychologist. He dedicated himself to it spending thousands of dollars. He told me attempting SOCE really hurt him psychologically and made him unable to help his son and others in his church.

SOCE failed. Their marriage ended. He not only had to heal from the damage SOCE did to him, he had to repair the damage he had done to everyone in his family and his church.

After he started accepting himself, they were able to repair some of that damage and he was able to work for marriage equality in his faith.

Today you have the opportunity to do something important about our clients’ suffering.

Thanks to the remarkable Beth Greivel you have a proposal involving needed ethics code changes.

Over 880 members and 6 chapters want you to endorse that proposal this weekend.

The other proposal before you was prepared by CAMFT.

That proposal needs to say SOCE is not ethical for CAMFT members.

Earlier this year 9 former leaders of SOCE apologized for many years of exploiting people’s hopes and fears. They wrote:

"As former "ex-gay" leaders, having witnessed the incredible harm done to those who attempted to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, we join together in calling for a ban on conversion therapy.

It is our firm belief that it is much more productive to support, counsel, and mentor LGBT individuals to embrace who they are in order to live happy, well-adjusted lives."

This weekend show you’re committed to protecting clients from SOCE.

Send Beth’s proposal to the Ethics Committee and issue a statement to the membership that SOCE is not an ethical practice for our members.

As the former SOCE leaders said, “It is much more productive to support, counsel and mentor LGBT individuals to embrace who they are in order to live happy, well-adjusted lives.”

Thank you.

Statement by Jay Paul:

My name is Jay Paul; thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I have been a CAMFT member since 1988. However, as a gay man, in recent years I felt alienated and questioned whether this organization truly represented me. My hope is that this is a significant time of change for CAMFT. I urge you to expedite the adoption of Elizabeth Greivel’s proposed additions to the CAMFT Code of Ethics.

Others’ eloquence about the risks of harm to clients from SOCE, allows me to focus on another concern raised by these practices. To do that, I need first mention the famous 1978 Bell & Weinberg study, “Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men & Women.”

The researchers asked their sample whether they would currently wish to take a “magic pill” which would change their sexuality to heterosexuality. A brief means of assessing satisfaction versus discomfort with their sexuality. As it turned out, relatively few expressed interest in such a pill.

SOCE practitioners will argue that they are providing a service to those who wish for that magic pill. However as healthcare professionals, we cannot uncritically indulge our clients’ wishes. The Internet and TV may convince people that they have a diagnosable disorder, and that a particular medication will be a panacea. However when they follow up with a physician, a competent doctor should be aware of viable alternatives, and can provide a more realistic perspective on diagnoses, treatments and suitable options.

Similarly, a client may come to us in great distress, believing that their sexual orientation is pathological, immoral and/or a deficiency, insisting that their only hope is to become heterosexual. As in the pill analogy, our necessary next step should entail exploring a client’s situation and desires in an unbiased manner. Paradoxically, this is something that is outside the scope of clinical competence of those offering SOCE.

Their theoretical perspectives and so-called “therapeutic” strategies indicate that they are woefully ill-informed about sexual orientation. Those who advocate SOCE ascribe legitimacy to long-debunked myths of the “causes” of homosexuality, and to curative strategies that meld sexual orientation and gender role behavior.

Their biases mean that they are neither informed about nor competent to work with LGBTQ clients. They lack detailed knowledge of the LGBTQ communities and social resources, same-sex relationships, and the impact of social stigmatization on well-being and mental health. Further, they have a built-in bias to attribute an LGBTQ individual’s distress to their sexual orientation rather than life circumstance unrelated to their sexuality.

Being capable only of efforts directed at moving someone AWAY from an LGBTQ identity, they are not equipped to explore a client’s sources of conflict or distress and find alternative resolutions.

By forbidding SOCE with clients of any age, you are telling a category of providers that they lack the necessary training to truly serve a class of patients.

Thank you.

Results of Presentation of Proposal on SOCE to CAMFT Board

Jay Philip Paul — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 02:53:15 GMT

This past Saturday was a triumph of which Gaylesta members can be proud. To describe what occurred, Guy Albert wrote a wonderful letter on the membership listserv; it is repeated below in a slightly edited fashion. In addition, I have posted the statements to the CAMFT Board presented by Gaylesta Advocacy Committee members.

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As a proud member of Gaylesta's Advocacy Committee, I want to inform the Gaylesta membership of an important event that occurred this past weekend, likely unbeknownst to many of you. On Saturday, September 20th, several Advocacy Committee members attended the CAMFT Board meeting at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley. As CAMFT members, they showed up to speak in support of a proposal submitted by Beth Grievel requesting that CAMFT amend its Code of Ethics to prohibit Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) by its members. In addition, this proposal asked the Board to make a strong statement condemning the practice of SOCE with all people, including adults. Because of their work, the CAMFT Board approved sending the proposed Code of Ethics revisions to the Ethics Committee for review, and adopted a clear statement against SOCE based upon a prior position statement by the American Psychiatric Association.

I am awed and amazed with the persistence of our Advocacy members in achieving this important milestone. This Saturday's events at the CAMFT Board meeting were the culmination of months of hard work by Advocacy members on top of several years of prior effort and concerted networking.

This important victory could not have happened without Beth Grievel's crafting of a strong proposal, in conjunction with having spearheaded an extraordinary petition drive. Jim Walker worked tirelessly to promote the petition, contacting CAMFT members and allies and succeeding in getting the support of several regional boards. Jim's efforts to communicate with the CAMFT Board and staff started back in 2010, and he has been steadfast in his attempts to educate them and heighten their awareness. James Guay created a video to accompany this effort and flew up from Los Angeles to speak to the Board along with our other colleagues. This is testament to James' ongoing efforts to fight SOCE and to communicate the danger and harm of these practices to the public. One of our Co-Presidents, Jay Paul, spoke to the Board as well. Deborah Cooper, who recently completed her term as Co-President, not only attended, but spoke extemporaneously when there was extra time on the agenda. Other Gaylesta members and local CAMFT organization members also were present to drive home the importance of this proposal to the CAMFT Board.

Please join me in celebrating this victory for Gaylesta, for CAMFT, and especially for LGBTQQI people in California and everywhere. This piece of advocacy continues to send a strong message to the world that we will not stand idle while the people we care about and serve are being harmed.

--- Guy Albert, PhD

Beth Greivel Spearheads Effort to Have CAMFT Denounce SOCE (Sexual Orientation Change Efforts)

Jay Philip Paul — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 19:00:13 GMT

Beth Greivel, a graduate student at The Wright Institute in Berkeley and a new Gaylesta member, submitted a petition to the CAMFT Board of Directors on July 9th, requesting that CAMFT make changes to their Code of Ethics that would denounce sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE). Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are the largest group of licensed mental health professionals in the State of California, and CAMFT (The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists) should represent their interests. Our hope is that CAMFT will formally acknowledge that SOCE therapists mislead clients about what they provide, fail to provide appropriate services, and instead cause serious harm to clients by reinforcing negative societal messages about LGBTQIQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, questioning, asexual) individuals. We hope that CAMFT will make its members understand that those who offer such unethical and harmful therapies are not welcome in the organization.

Many people provided input into the final proposal, including many in Gaylesta's Advocacy Committee. However, the driving force in all this has been Beth Greivel, and she deserves our recognition for her efforts. We encourage you to read this proposal; it can be found online at http://www.convertmfts.org/.

If you are a CAMFT member, your attendance at the Board meeting (September 20th & 21st at The Claremont Hotel in Berkeley) would send a strong message to the Board about the importance of adopting this proposal. If you wish to attend, you must email CAMFT in advance. (Submit your request to Andrea Redd at aredd@camft.org.) Please do that NOW so that they reserve a room large enough to seat all who are interested. Proponents of SOCE and others who oppose this proposal may also attend. We urge you to consider speaking in support of the changes outlined in the submitted proposal. A number of us in Gaylesta already have made plans to attend this meeting; we hope to see many of you there as well.

As soon as the meeting agenda is finalized and it is known when this proposal will be reviewed, we will post the information on our website. We anticipate that many who wish to attend this discussion may not be interested in attending the full two days of the meeting (8:30 AM - 5:00 PM on Satuday, and 8:30 AM - 12 Noon on Sunday). Check back on this website for updates to learn of any further developments or news on this proposal.

SB 1172 Affirmed As Law - Reparative Therapy for Minors Now Illegal In California

Jay Philip Paul — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 01:22:21 GMT

On Monday, June 30th, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) finally indicated that they would not grant certiorari (would not be reviewing) two cases filed against California's ban on "sexual orientation change efforts" (SOCE) with minors -- a practice also known as "reparative therapy" or "gay conversion therapy." After California's law (SB 1172) was passed, two challenges were filed against the law (Pickup v. Brown and Welch v. Brown), but the Ninth Circuit Court had denied those challenges. The Circuit Court ruled that the law was a reasonable regulation of professional conduct, and rejected the contention of those challenging the law that it violated "free speech rights" of therapists and patients, as well as violating "parents' rights." While that ruling was appealed, the law could not be enforced, and therapists such as Pickup or Welch were free to continue to offer SOCE to minors in California (and by personal admission did engage in this practice). As the SCOTUS has declined to hear the appeal, SB 1172 can now be enforced to the full extent of the law.

Having been involved from the outset in the effort to get SB 1172 passed, with members of our organization working very hard on this issue, Gaylesta celebrates this victory with both pride and relief. The battle is not yet over, however, as SOCE can still be offered to adults as a supposedly legitimate form of psychotherapy. We will continue to press forward and fight this practice with adults as well. SOCE only causes further suffering to LGBT individuals, provided by psychotherapists who reinforce the worst of our society's prejudices. These psychotherapists ignore known facts about these practices: research evidence as well as personal stories have shown their harmfulness; they are based upon theories and concepts of sexuality that were dismissed long ago; offering SOCE as "therapy" can be challenged as unethical on many levels. Continue to watch the Gaylesta website for more news on this issue.

Letter in response to CAMFT's publication of AACC advertising

Guy Albert — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:40:16 GMT

I sent the following letter to the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) Board members a couple of days ago. Last week, CAMFT published an ad in The Therapist by the American Association of Christian Counselors in which Tony Perkins, a well-known anti-LGBT activist, was featured as a plenary session speaker. Here is my response to the publication of this ad.

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April 10, 2014

Dear CAMFT Board members,

I recently learned that CAMFT published an ad for the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) in its most recent issue of The Therapist (March/April 2014). The full page ad for the “International Marriage & Family Summit” appears to be strategically placed just before the CAMFT Annual Conference spread. The ad could easily be mistaken for being part of the CAMFT conference. The AACC recently appeared in the news as one of 3 plaintiffs in the case against New Jersey’s bill to protect youth from SOCE. CAMFT is therefore running an ad for an organization that is defending SOCE practitioners in court.

What is most egregious about the ad is that Tony Perkins is listed as one of the plenary session speakers at the AACC summit. Perkins, president of the evangelical Family Research Council, is known for his repeated vile attacks against LGBT people. In an All Things Considered (NPR) report, Perkins said, "These young people who identify as gay or lesbian, we know from the social science that they have a higher propensity to depression or suicide because of that internal conflict” (10/26/2010).

Perkins essentially claims that the much higher rate of suicide among LGBT youth is caused by an abnormality that leads them to despair. He dismisses the notion that the roots of this despair might lie in the marginalization, the bullying, and the rejection that many LGBT kids experience, the very marginalization he and his organization espouses. Further, the “social science” is he referring to is obviously rooted in an ideological perspective that has no basis in science. He has also repeatedly linked gay men and lesbians to pedophiles, with no scientific basis for his assertions. In 1996, Perkins paid $82,500 to use the contact list of former Ku Klux Klan leader, David Duke, in a political campaign. He then tried to hide this information and was fined for doing so.

I understand that CAMFT has a policy of accepting advertisement money without espousing the views held by the advertiser. I nonetheless doubt that CAMFT is really seeking such an indiscriminate and open view of your advertising that you would accept submissions from anyone, even if their perspectives were racist, misogynistic, or violent.

As was previously noted by some colleagues of mine, and as I continue to experience, CAMFT’s printing of this advertisement in such a prominent location in the publication builds upon its reputation as an organization that supports the marginalization of LGBT people. I am awaiting the CAMFT Board’s response regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Guy Albert, Ph.D.

3036 Regent Street,

Berkeley, CA 94705-2551

Voice mail: 510-496-3447 Fax: 510-849-2219

http://guyalbert.com

Gay Man Sues China's Largest Search Engine For Promoting Conversion Therapy

Jay Philip Paul — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 20:00:59 GMT

To read the full story on GaystarNews.com, click on this link.

A 30-year-old Chinese man filed a court case on Thursday (March 13) against Baidu (the fifth most frequently used website in the world) for promoting gay conversion therapy in its search results.
In the next few days, the Beijing court will decide whether to proceed with the lawsuit against Baidu and Chongqing-based Xin Yu Piao Xiang (XYPX). Baidu displayed advertising by XYPX that promised to cure homosexuality. The course of treatment provided to the Chinese man filing the suit (going by the name 'Xiao Zhen') involved electroshock therapy. Despite cutting short the treatment, the consequence has been increased emotional distress for Xiao Zhen.
According to volunteer lawyer, Huang Yizhi, Baidu has broken various laws for displaying advertisements by XYPX with false claims and giving priority to such claims in searches. XYPX is charged with making false promotional claims.

Press Release - Urgent

Myles Downes — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 19:01:01 GMT

For Immediate Release:

San Francisco, March 13, 2014

SB1172 was to become effective in January 2013. It has faced legal challenges since December 2012. SB1172 protects minors from the practice of Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) by licensed therapists in the State of California. These practices have not only been found ineffective, but are coercive and potentially harmful. CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists) -- unlike most other professional associations of mental health practitioners -- has not denounced the practice of SOCE. In fact, the plaintiffs who are challenging SB1172 in court are CAMFT members.

In the past week, CAMFT members who practice SOCE sent an email blast from "Therapists Concerned About Clients." Kevin Bergen, President of the Long Beach Chapter of CAMFT, allegedly used his position to access CAMFT mailing lists for this blast. The email charged other CAMFT members with "ethics violations” because they are working to ban SOCE and urged recipients to vote against those CAMFT board candidates who supported this work in the upcoming elections.

Gaylesta, the LGBTQ Psychotherapy Association demands that CAMFT take disciplinary measures with regard to the email blast. The appropriation of its email list for the promotion of a personal agenda should be properly addressed. Those who sent it, some of whom provide SOCE with minors are engaging in a practice that the three branches of California government have deemed illegal and unethical. All those who signed that blast and still practice SOCE with minors should lose their licenses as well as their CAMFT memberships.

Links:

Download Gaylesta's Letter to CAMFT Leadership

Gaylesta.org – our Association's website's home page

ConvertMFTs.com – petition to have CAMFT take a stand on SOCE

Voices-of-change.org – the email blast sent from Kevin Bergen links to this page

CONTACT:

Deborah Cooper, MFT, Gaylesta Co-President 415-902-2173 (out of country from March 14th until April 7th)

Marea Murray, LCSW, Gaylesta Board Member and Advocacy Committee Chair 415-846-6309

Click on this link to download a graphic created by Gaylesta member James Guay that clearly outlines CAMFT's history of heterosexist policies and actions.

CAMFT Petition

Myles Downes — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:30:36 GMT

Posted by Jim Walker, Gaylesta Member

Please sign this petition asking the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) to change their Code of Ethics to clearly state that SOCE practices are unethical for their members.
http://www.convertmfts.org/

A law protecting youth in California from SOCE by any licensed therapist was supposed to take effect in 2013. However, several California therapists - among them David Pickup, MFT, a CAMFT member--have stopped the law by repeatedly challenging it in court. This year Mr. Pickup is blocking the law from taking effect by taking it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Eventually the court will stop Mr. Pickup and other practitioners in California from blocking the law from taking effect. However the law only protects those under 18.

By asking CAMFT to change their ethics for their 31,000 members, you will not only protect youth in California from SOCE being used by CAMFT members, you'll protect adults too from CAMFT members using it on them. CAMFT can provide extra protection from SOCE that the law can't. CAMFT changing their ethics will clearly educate the public and all therapists that SOCE is harmful and ineffective.

In addition, certain CAMFT members also teach SOCE to other practitioners. By signing the petition, you'll stop people like Mr. Pickup from teaching their harmful practices to others when they're CAMFT members.

Click on this link to download a graphic created by Gaylesta member James Guay that clearly outlines CAMFT's history of heterosexist policies and actions.

Beth Greivel, a psychology grad student in Berkeley, launched this petition. Gaylesta proudly joins her in advocating for CAMFT changing their ethics and we urge everyone to sign her petition. Thanks very much!

Advocacy Work on SB 1172

Myles Downes — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 15:40:16 GMT

Gaylesta works to establish professional standards of appropriate LGBTQ-affirmative psychotherapy as well as to protect our population from harmful psychotherapy practices. We were in the forefront of the movement to ban SOCE (sexual orientation change efforts, also known as ex-gay, conversion or reparative therapy) that led to the passage of SB 1172 in September, 2012. This California law prohibits licensed mental health providers from practicing SOCE on minors.

The need for such legislation emerged in 2010 when we became aware that the BBS, the licensing board for MFTs and LCSWs, had approved a well-known SOCE organization as a provider of continuing education for therapists. We organized a letter writing campaign asking the BBS to prohibit these trainings, based on substantial research that such techniques are useless, fraudulent and result in substantial harm for clients subjected to these methods. Since the BBS and the BOP (the licensing board for psychologists) took the position that they are merely enforcing state regulations on mental health, Gaylesta’s Advocacy Committee concluded that the most effective way to eradicate these practices was through legislation.

Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) and Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) were the first legislators we contacted who took up this cause. When Assemblyperson Ma’s legislative term was over, the work was carried forward by State Senators Ellen Corbett (D-Hayward) and Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach). Ultimately, Ted Lieu (D-Torrence) sponsored SB 1172. As this bill took shape, Equality California (EQCA) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) became official sponsors and worked with legislators to ensure the bill’s passage. AAMFT-CA (American Assoc. for Marriage and Family Therapy, Calif. Division) devoted considerable time and effort to shape a bill that mental health professional organizations could support. We are grateful to all the organizations and individuals who worked on this bill, which is the first in the U.S. to prohibit SOCE for minors.

Lawmakers in Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Virginia have followed California’s lead in proposing bills of their own, and New Jersey now has a similar bill that was signed into law.

SB 1172 was scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2013, but has been facing legal battles since it was signed. Two lawsuits were filed in district courts in California to try to prevent the bill from being enacted. The primary argument is that SB 1172 violates First Amendment rights of free speech. However, the court has consistently ruled (both here and New Jersey, where their bill is being similarly challenged) that the law is an appropriate regulation of medical practices, and is not restricting free speech. The plaintiffs are now asking the United States Supreme Court to hear the case. We are waiting to hear a decision from the Court. If they opt not to take up this case, the law goes into effect without further delay.

While we recognize the importance of this landmark legislation in protecting the well being of minors, we hope to see a total ban on SOCE. This practice perpetuates the belief that LGBTQ people are sick, and that sexuality can be changed with enough effort. The effect of these beliefs on LGBTQ individuals is often severe depression and suicide attempts as well as misery for their spouses and children.

While most mental health organizations have taken strong stands against SOCE, there is one notable exception. CAMFT (California Assoc. of Marriage and Family Therapists) has not taken a stand in denouncing this practice, and the plaintiffs who are challenging SB 1172 in court are CAMFT members. This is consistent with CAMFT’s reluctance to support marriage equality despite significant pressure from many of its members, as well as their lack of support for other legislation that supports the mental health of LGBTQ people.

We urge our membership, our community and our allies to help spread the word about SOCE and support the ban of this harmful practice. We will continue to work for a clear delineation between mental health practices and religious beliefs, and for the acceptance of LGBTQ people in all sectors of society.

Letter to US Air Force 12/1/13

Myles Downes — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 17:38:54 GMT

One of Gaylesta’s members, Guy Albert, recently sent this letter to Lieutenant General Michelle D. Johnson at the United States Air Force Academy, protesting their staff choice of Dr. Rosebush, who has a history of practicing reparative therapy. Read the letter below.

Lieutenant General Michelle D. Johnson
United States Air Force Academy
2304 Cadet Drive Suite 3100
USAF Academy, CO 80840-3100

Dear Ms. Johnson,

It has come to our attention that the United States Air Force Academy has within its ranks a leader who has spent many years promoting the treatment of homosexuality. Dr. Mike Rosebush, who is currently director of counseling at the USAFA, has an extended history of attempting to “cure” gay people of their homosexual desires. These practices, known as Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), have been denounced by nearly all the leading mental health associations in the US, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

As members of the largest LGBTQ therapist’s association in the country, we are increasingly aware of the damages that SOCE have caused countless people, including young adults and minors. The harms of these practices have been so extreme that they have sometimes caused depression, substance abuse, and suicide, and SOCE are being outlawed in several states. We cannot hold silent knowing that a person who has promoted such practices is now in charge of the development of character and leadership of young adults.

Dr. Rosebush’s 20-year history with anti-LGBTQ therapy cannot be dismissed with well-intentioned assurances. His employment with USAFA is an implicit endorsement of his past practices and beliefs. He has published instructions to change sexual orientation, he has years of membership and directorship in organizations focused on anti-LGBTQ propaganda, and his words of hatred for LGBTQ people sends a negative message to all cadets. Though we understand that Dr. Rosebush’s functions do not necessarily include therapy with cadets, his work is related enough to counseling or coaching that his influence on training and morale will most certainly affect cadet populations. Dr. Rosebush’s career has focused on advocating homophobic, unscientific practices which have caused harm to many LGBTQ people, including Air Force Academy cadets.
We trust that you understand how sexual orientation and gender identity continue to be issues of great concern in our society, and we believe that you have every intention to create a culture of acceptance in the Air Force Academy. In that respect, being mindful of a leader’s sphere of influence goes a long way in creating an environment that is sensitive to social and cultural diversity. We ask that you replace Dr. Rosebush with a leader who holds respect for diverse populations, including people of different sexual orientations. We would love to know that you stand behind your statement that USAFA is welcoming and supportive of diversity. We will appreciate your response to this letter.

Sincerely,

Guy Albert, Ph.D.
On behalf of Gaylesta, the LGBTQ therapists association.

http://www.gaylesta.org

cc: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning, President Barack Obama