West Virginia gubernatorial candidate Moore Capito has proposed a bill that would prohibit doctors from treating children with gender dysphoria if that treatment includes detransitioning.
Capito hopes to become the next governor of the Mountain State. However, multiple polls show West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey leading Capito by double digits.
In 2019, Mr. Capito served as a member of the West Virginia State House of Delegates.During his tenure in the state Legislature, he Co-host Youth Mental Health Protection Act. The bill ultimately died in committee. However, the law’s findings are surprisingly pro-trans and consistent with the philosophy of transgender medical care.
“The purpose of this provision is to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth from conversion therapy, also known as sexual orientation change efforts or reparative therapy,” the bill’s purpose section states. Masu. read.
The bill proposed by Mr. Moore declares:
(1) Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is not a disease, disability, disease, deficiency, or defect. The leading professional bodies of mental health professionals and researchers in the United States have recognized this fact for nearly 40 years.
(2) Conversion therapy has been condemned by every major medical and mental health organization, including the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
(3) Research clearly shows that conversion therapy poses devastating health risks for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, including depression, low self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and suicidal tendencies. I am.
(4) West Virginia protects the physical and mental health of minors, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, and protects minors from exposure to serious harm caused by conversion therapy. We have a genuine interest in protecting people.
The “Definitions” section of the bill provides that conversion therapy shall not apply to persons in transition.
“Conversion therapy” means any practice or treatment that attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behavior or gender expression, or sexual or romantic This includes efforts to eliminate or reduce negative attractions and emotions. Conversion therapy includes counseling that provides support to a person undergoing gender transition, or counseling that provides acceptance, support, and understanding for a person, or counseling that provides a person with coping, social support, and identity exploration, including sexual orientation neutrality. Counseling to promote development shall not be included. Interventions to prevent or address illicit or unsafe sexual behavior, unless the counseling is aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. [Emphasis added]
The bill states that “mental health providers may not perform conversion therapy on persons under the age of 18.”
Capito’s bill also includes penalties for mental health professionals who provide conversion therapy to children under 18 who are experiencing gender dysphoria.
The bill would include: “a mental health provider who is found to have engaged in conversion therapy or who is found to have referred a current or former client or patient to an individual under the age of 18 for the purpose of engaging in conversion therapy; The provider shall be subject to discipline by the Attorney General.” A licensing authority or disciplinary review board having jurisdiction. ”
“Moore Capito plays like a conservative to get elected, but he is actually one of the most liberal Republicans in West Virginia and has been an outspoken supporter of the radical trans movement,” the pro-Trump activist said. talk. he told Breitbart News. “Advocating for criminalizing the treatment of young children with gender dysphoria by medical professionals is what you would expect from a left-wing politician in California, not an alleged Republican from West Virginia.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter at Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
