It's been two weeks since Assemblyman Even Low (D-Cupertino) pulled his despicable legislation AB 2943, which would have banned the practice of reparative therapy, along with the sale of books, teachings, sermons, and recording teaching people that they can break free of same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria.
Why did he pull the bill at the last minute? Pundits inside and outside the state capitol confirm that the pressure was so great to stop that terrible overreach of the state legislature into the daily lives and faith of individuals and their church communities.
The largest opposition during committee testimonies came from men and women who had lived homosexual lifestyles or who had struggled with gender dysphoria in the past. Why would the state of California prevent men and women from seeking help to escape destructive behaviors? Smoking has becoming increasingly frowned upon. Why would we permit other destructive behaviors to have such easy support or promotion?
Why shouldn't. Now, after ten days of basking in this great victory, another member of our MassResistance team asked me what was going through the minds of the LGBT Activists in the state who were pushing for this reparative therapy ban? What are they thinking? Are they mad at Evan Low? Are they preparing for another push next year?
Well, Los Angeles Blade, one of the foremost gay magazines in the country, reported on Low's decision to pull AB 2943.
Let' read, consider, and comment:
Aug. 31, the end of the California legislative session, started out
joyfully for LGBT Californians. Landmark LGBT bills had already been signed or
were headed to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. California really did feel like a
beacon of hope.
But suddenly out Assembly member Evan Low pulled his Assembly Bill
2943, legislation to declare so-called “conversion therapy” a fraudulent
practice. It was a shock. The bill passed the Senate on Aug. 16 by a vote of
25-11. It had backing from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American
Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the California Medical
Association, and the Consumer Attorneys of California. AB 2943 seemed set to
prohibit the practice of advertising or selling fraudulent claims to change
someone’s LGBT sexual orientation or gender identity.
Reparative therapy works. Period. Ask the thousands of people who have been set free from destructive same-sex behaviors through this therapy. The LGBT Lobby in California cannot repeat this lie often enough and assume that they will fool people into going along with it. The true fraud comes from the abusive homosexual agenda and its proponents who insist on pushing their perverted lifestyles onto the rest of us.
Plus, Brown was expected to sign it. In 2012, he told the San Francisco
Chronicle after signing then-State Sen. Ted Lieu’s SB 1172: “This bill bans
non-scientific ‘therapies’ that have driven young people to depression and
suicide. These practices have no basis in science or medicine and they will now
be relegated to the dustbin of quackery.”
LIE. LIE. LIE. Six years ago, MassResistance was not targeting the state of California as stringently as they are now. We have had more successes this time around than in the past. What was needed? Committed activists who were willing to fight back, call the state legislators, and lobby their staff in the district offices.
Low issued a press release that was both emotional and somewhat
confusing. “Authoring Assembly Bill 2943 is one of the most personal decisions
I have made since taking office,” he said. As a confused young person, he hid
his feelings “because I was afraid of what others would think of me. This left
me feeling very lost, scared, alone, and even suicidal. I wondered if I could
change. Coming out was not an easy experience” but he found support, unlike
many others who were subjected to conversion therapy. He authored AB 2943 “to
ensure a remedy for those who are deceived by this deceptive practice.”
Low offered a confused statement in large part because homosexuals often struggle with deep confusion. Many of them don't know what is going on, why they are attracted to people of the same sex. Much of the time, the lack of a strong upbringing with a strong same-sex parent has harmed their development. In many cases, those individuals were molested, assaulted, or abused in other terrible ways.
The solution to confusion is truth, not more lies, confusion, or distractions. Evan Low seemed reluctant to pull the plug on his landmark legislation, too.
And yet he did.
Low tweaked AB 2943 in response to intense opposition as it progressed
through the legislature. He also spent the past few months meeting with faith
leaders throughout the state.
"Tweak" makes sense, since the changes would never have been good enough. Initially, the bill targeted goods as well as services related to reparative therapy.
The Los Angeles Blade quotes the main portion of Evan Low's press release, which he released on the last day of the legislative session:
“I was heartened by the conversations,” Low said. “A number of
religious leaders denounced conversion therapy and recognized how harmful the
practice is while acknowledging it has been discredited by the medical and
psychological communities. I left those productive conversations feeling
hopeful. I believe every person who attended these meetings left with a greater
understanding for the underlying reason and intention of this bill to create a
loving and inclusive environment for all. However, I believe there is still
more to learn.”
People cannot change if they fall for the lies that there is way to stop being gay. They need to hear the truth which sets them free. Sadly, some of these so-called churches are not really churches at all. Many of them do not believe Jesus Christ is Lord, nor do they accept him as Savior.
Check out how the LA Blade covers for Low's cowardice:
Low pulled AB 2943 to create a
stronger bill produced in a more “inclusive process not hampered by legislative
deadlines” that will also serve as a model for the nation. “It is my obligation
as a Legislator to make this difficult decision in the interest of finding
common ground. The path towards full equality is a long journey, but a journey
best traveled together. I invite you to join me,” Low said.
There is no common ground on this craziness.
Low’s backers stood behind him, calling him a hero. But others were
skeptical. Had he caved to the religious right? Was this really a matter of
political expedience to avoid giving anti-LGBT Republicans a talking point
before the mid-terms.
Yes, Low did cave to the "religious right", which was really the common sense of holy people throughout the state. Men and women who believe in freedom of religion as well as faith and family refused to let the state of California continue to push them around and stomp all over their rights. There is no excuse for the rogue abuses overwhelming the people of California from their unaccountable legislature.
Evan Low should have known better than to push such terrible legislation onto the voters.
But watch Equality California cover for Evan Low this time:
Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur says no. “Absolutely
not,” Zbur told the Los Angeles Blade. “Both chambers already voted on the bill,
and we were proud of the bipartisan support we received. We think most voters
appreciate that their elected leaders stood up for LGBTQ Californians and to
protect consumers from this fraudulent, dangerous practice.”
The bipartisan support for this bill came from two Republicans voting for this travesty, Brian Maienschein and Catharine Baker. This bill received nothing but Democratic support otherwise. The legislation faced massive opposition from churches in the Inland Empire, enough that the two representatives for the region put the brakes on the bill.
AB 2943 really was pulled to get more support, he says, including from
the surprising new group of faith leaders who opposed the bill—and opposed
‘conversion therapy.’
Low needed more support from the faith communities? Didn't he already have the votes to get the bill off the floor a second time? It sure seemed that way, since 50 Assemblymembers had voted for the perversion the first time.
Then MassResistance stepped into the fray to stall this thing outright.
“This is a really important issue and we’re committed to getting it
right,” Zbur says. “We saw an opportunity to work with key
stakeholders—including members of the LGBTQ community, medical and mental
health professionals, and faith leaders who oppose conversion therapy—to
strengthen the legislation, make sure it’s ironclad and continue building
consensus around this issue among Californians. Because the state’s existing
consumer protection laws already safeguard the LGBTQ community against these
dangerous, discredited and fraudulent practices, we felt that it was more
important to take additional time and make sure we send the strongest possible
policy to the governor than it was to get this done by an arbitrary legislative
deadline.”
The statement above says it all: "faith leaders who oppose reparative therapy." There are a growing number of faith leaders who recognize that reparative therapy works, that it makes a difference. Men and women can and do change for the better. It's possible.
The other statement is also quite telling -- notice that Rick Zbur of Equality California cited California's existing consumer protection laws. Why is there a demand for more laws? Reparative therapy has demonstrated a record of accomplishing what many people set out to change in their lives. Why would anyone denounce these practices as fraudulent?
Past religious right opposition to banning “conversion therapy” has
used arguments based on religious liberty and parental rights. But this time,
groups such as Family Research Council, Focus on the Family and Alliance
Defending Freedom, promoted myths and misinformation that the bill “would have
labeled the essential Biblical belief of life transformation through Jesus as
an unfair and deceptive practice,” as Anne Paulk, Executive Director of
Restored Hope Network, put it.
The legislation would have banned the Bible, and even today the argument that homosexuality and transgenderism are benign lifestyles is just not true. MassResistance has stood strong with the basic arguments that these behaviors should not be accepted or promoted. They are destructive, and they are based on the lies that people are born gay.
It is simply not true. It seems that the next round for pushing a reparative therapy ban will find some way to focus on the therapies themselves. We need more and more pro-family forces in the state of California and all over the country to bring forth their stories.
Other, more nuanced misinformation had to be cleared up, as well. “For
example,” says Zbur, “one nuance that’s important we’re clear on is the
distinction between so-called ‘conversion therapy’ or sexual orientation change
efforts and traditional, neutral counseling that’s aimed at facilitating a
patient’s exploration of their identity and self-acceptance. We need to make
sure that we’re clear on where that gradation starts, and that takes time to
get right.”
Indeed, this is the crappy argument that I heard from one of Evan Low's staffers. Where does one draw the line, however? If someone goes to "Regular" therapy as a homosexual, and then leaves the therapy with a clearer mind about why they struggled and suffered in pain, then they end up no longer engaging in same sex behaviors.
It is essential for activist groups around the state to speak to the truth of the matter in every way possible. This fight is not going to be won in the short or long-term as long as the pro-family movement focuses only on individual liberty or parental rights.
We need to stand for truth!
The reaction from the religious right was surprising. “We want to thank
Assemblyman Low for considering the repercussions of this bill and making the
decision to pull it,” Karen England, head of the anti-LGBT Capitol Resource
Institute, wrote. “We believe that we can have disagreements on policy and even
life decisions, yet do so in a respectful manner, and that is what we have
aimed to do throughout this process.”
I disagree with this approach in considerable ways. No one should thank Evan Low, when he never should have introduced the terrible legislation to begin with. The only time to thank legislators occurs when they take the time and resources to expand our liberties and limit the size and scope of the state.
Hold on. This should be an interesting ride.
Final Reflection
The LGBT Hate Machine is coming back, and they are going to hammer the argument against reparative therapy as a practice by itself. Assemblyman Low or one of his LGBT colleagues will attempt to reintroduce this legislation, this time focusing on the practice itself.
But there's the problem: reparative therapy works, and it is a total lie which suggests that the practice is fraudulent. Men and women are not born gay, and gender dysphoria is a disorder, not a civil right. This argument must be confronted head-on, and no one should look away from it.
Los Angeles Blade has laid out the strategy which the LGBT lobby is going to lay out in its next attempt to push this perverse legislation onto everyone.
It is essential that we learn the truth and get the word out to churches, charities, and every other non-profit and individual interest in the state.
Reparative Therapy works. We must protest Therapy Equality at all costs.
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