Protect the LGBTQ+ Community from Conversion Therapy in CA by Passing SB 934

Conversion therapy is the use of talk therapy, or other emotional or physical methods, to “cure” or “repair” a person’s attraction to others, based on their gender, or their gender identity and expression. Conversion therapy has long targeted members of the LGBTQ+ community.    The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Counseling Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American School Counselor Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and every other mainstream mental health and medical organization in the United States have determined that efforts to use conversion therapy in an attempt to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity are harmful and ineffective.   In March, the Supreme Court of the United States (Chiles v. Salazar) determined that some state laws that impose professional standards and regulations on talk therapy banning conversion therapy are problematic, equating to a form of viewpoint discrimination that violates the rights of any therapist who wishes to engage in conversion therapy with their patients. This decision will challenge existing state-level and professional bans of conversion therapy for licensed counselors, at the very least demanding that the laws are reworded.   Preventing medical professionals from engaging in conversion therapy is critical for protecting the well-being of LGBTQ+ community members, with a specific emphasis on protecting young people. Medical and mental health experts have rejected conversion therapy practices for decades not only because they do not work, but also because they are discriminatory and dangerous, a practice that can lead to severe emotional and psychological harm, depression, anxiety, drug use, and suicide.     As such, in California, the passage of SB 934 (2026) is desperately needed to reinscribe state-level protections. This bill defines “sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts” as “any practices of a licensed mental health provider that seek to direct a patient toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity outcome, regardless of the direction of the intended change.” Using this definition would make SB 934 allowable based on Chiles v. Salazar, while still restricting the practice of conversion therapy. Restrictions would be imposed through financial incentives, where former patients who were subject to conversion therapy at the hands of licensed mental health providers and their employees could recover damages suffered as a result.   Given the need for these critical protections at this moment, we respectfully ask for your “yea” vote on this important measure.