1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to vote NO on House Study Bill 669 and oppose any legislation that permits conversion therapy practices. This bill would endanger Iowa children by allowing harmful, discredited practices that every major medical organization in America has condemned. The science is unanimous and clear. The American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the World Health Organization all oppose conversion therapy because it doesn’t work and causes serious harm. After 40 years of research, there is no evidence these practices are effective. The current medical manual (DSM-5-TR) does not classify homosexuality or gender identity as mental disorders—they are normal variations of human identity. The harms are well-documented and severe. Forty-two percent of people subjected to conversion therapy attempted suicide, compared to only 5% of those who weren’t. These practices significantly increase depression, anxiety, and psychological trauma. Twenty-three states have already banned conversion therapy for minors because it violates the medical principle to “do no harm.” House Study Bill 669 moves Iowa backward by exempting these harmful practices from child abuse definitions and extending those exemptions to foster care, adoption, and custody cases. Parental rights do not include the right to subject children to practices that increase their suicide risk by more than 800%. I urge you to stand with medical science and Iowa’s children by voting NO on HSB 669. Our young people deserve protection from harmful practices, not legislation that endangers them. I will be watching this vote closely and discussing it with my neighbors and community. Thank you for your consideration and service to our state. I look forward to hearing your position on this critical matter.