LGBTQ victory: Appleton bans medical professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors

APPLETON - Elected leaders sent a strong message of support to LGBTQ youth in the city Wednesday by passing a resolution banning licensed medical and mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors.

The Common Council approved the measure on a 14-1 vote, eliciting a burst of cheers from advocates of the ban. The vote came shortly before 11 p.m. and followed nearly four hours of testimony and debate from more than 50 people.

"We really have taken the opportunity to use our position of power to tell our kids that we want them to be OK and thrive," Alderman Vered Meltzer told The Post-Crescent.

The city attorney's office now will draft an ordinance to reflect the intent of the resolution, which was approved unanimously earlier this month by the Board of Health.

The resolution defines conversion therapy as "the practice of trying to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity."

Advocates of the ban, representing two-thirds of the speakers, characterized conversion therapy as ineffective, unethical, abusive, harmful, barbaric and antiquated. They said it poses critical health risks to LGBTQ youth, including depression and suicidality.

RELATED: Appleton board supports ban on practicing conversion therapy on minors

RELATED: Appleton debates whether to ban practicing conversion therapy on minors

Spencer Jay, 17, said he underwent conversion therapy in 2018. "I personally have never been the same," Jay told the council. "It takes a mental toll on me every day."

Jay urged the council to take a stand against conversion therapy. "It's really sad to see that it's still legal this close to home," he said.

Others shared similar views.

"Same-sex attraction and being transgender are not harmful," Morgan Rachelle Fessler said. "We don't need to put our young people in therapy for it. Any form of conversion therapy should be banned because being an LGBTQ person is not something that needs to be fixed."

Opponents of the ban, representing one-third of the speakers and including members of the faith community, said the ban was unnecessary and too broad and would infringe upon parental rights.

"I want to be able to raise children as I see fit and not have the public school or the Appleton Common Council telling me how I can talk to my own kids or where I can take them if they're confused about their sexuality," Michelle Gabriel said.

The resolution calls for banning licensed medical or mental health professionals from offering or rendering conversion therapy to patients who are minors. It doesn't concern patients who are adults.

"We have a responsibility to protect the children of this city," Alderwoman Katie Van Zeeland said.

An early draft of the resolution specified the fine for a violation at $1,000 a day. It subsequently was amended to eliminate the fine and remove the city as the investigator and enforcer of alleged violations.

Instead, the city will report complaints to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, which regulates therapy services and professional counseling.

Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, Cudahy, Shorewood and Racine have passed bans on conversion therapy. Neenah considered a ban in November, but the issue died in committee.

Appleton's Youth Mental Health Protection resolution contains the following statements:

• Science recognizes that being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is part of the natural spectrum of human identity and is not a disease, disorder or illness.
• The practice of conversion therapy is based on scientifically unfounded approaches not subject to peer review and is often conducted in a violent and damaging manner.
• The American Psychological Association issued a report in 2009 that concluded that  conversion therapy can pose critical health risks to lesbian, gay and bisexual people including depression, suicidality, substance abuse, stress and disconnection with family and friends.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics revealed alarming levels of attempted suicide among transgender youth because of society's oppression and lack of acceptance.

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.