Oppose HB 693 – Protecting Ohio’s Children and Medical Standards

I am writing to you today to express my strong opposition to House Bill 693 and any similar legislation that seeks to shield discredited medical practices from professional oversight. As the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Chiles v. Salazar has shifted the legal landscape regarding conversion therapy, it is more critical than ever that Ohio maintains its commitment to evidence-based healthcare. While the Court has addressed the speech aspect of therapy, it did not change the scientific reality: conversion therapy and non-affirming practices are dangerous for Ohio children, as they are linked to significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. I oppose HB 693 for the following reasons: - Undermining Professional Standards: This bill would prevent Ohio’s licensing boards from doing their jobs. We rely on boards like the CSWMFT to ensure that licensed professionals are providing safe, peer-reviewed care. HB 693 would grant a license to harm by protecting practitioners who ignore medical consensus. - Redefining Child Safety: By legislating that non-affirming practices can never be considered contrary to the best interest of the child, this bill ignores the documented psychological trauma these practices cause. Politics should not override the safety and well-being of Ohio’s most vulnerable children. - The Authority Gap: A child in a therapist’s office is not in a marketplace of ideas; they are in a clinical setting where they deserve protection from pseudoscientific methods that major medical associations, including the AMA and APA, have condemned for decades. I urge you to stand with Ohio’s medical professionals and families by voting NO on HB 693. Please protect the integrity of our professional licensing standards and, most importantly, the lives of Ohio’s youth. I look forward to hearing your position on this critical issue.