Title
Ordinance supplementing the Pittsburgh Code, Title VI Conduct, Article 1 Regulated Rights and Actions, to add a new Section 628 Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression Conversion Efforts prohibiting the practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQIA+ minors within the City of Pittsburgh.
Body
WHEREAS, the practice of LGBTQIA+ conversion therapy or reparative therapy is formally opposed by the following organizations: American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, American College of Physicians, American Counseling Association, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, American Psychological Association, American School Counselor Association, American School Health Association, National Association of Social Workers, Pan American Health Organization: Regional Office of the World Health Organization, and World Psychiatric Association; and,
WHEREAS, a report by the American Psychological Association cites the severe mental health problems caused by sexual orientation conversion efforts, including depression, decreased self-esteem, social withdrawal, substance abuse, dehumanization, feelings of hostility and anger, and suicidal thoughts; and,
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry determined that no evidence exists to prove the efficacy or necessity of conversion therapy and concluded that same-sex attraction is neither an illness nor a mental health disorder and therefore, cannot be altered by conversion therapy; and,
WHERAS, the American Counseling Association (ACA) also affirmed that homosexuality is not listed as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, which is used by mental health and medical professional organizations to determine best practices for treatment of various conditions, and the ACA also cites a study by the American Psychological Association's ...
Click here for full text