SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California State Senate today approved a bill designed to limit the ability of mental health providers in California to engage in dangerous sexual orientation change efforts (sometimes referred to as “ex-gay therapy,” “conversion therapy” or “reparative therapy”).
http://sdgln.com/news/2012/05/30/breaking-news-california-senate-bans-ex-gay-therapy
If approved by the Assembly and signed by the Governor, Senate Bill 1172, authored by Senator Ted Lieu and co-sponsored by Equality California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Mental Health America of Northern California, Gaylesta, and Lambda Legal, would make California the first state in the nation to ban licensed mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts of any kind for a minor patient, regardless of a parent's willingness or desire to authorize participation in such programs.
“Being lesbian or gay or bisexual is not a disease or mental disorder for the same reason that being a heterosexual is not a disease or a mental disorder,” Lieu said. “The medical community is unanimous in stating that homosexuality is not a medical condition.”
Sexual orientation change efforts pose critical health risks, including depression, shame, decreased self-esteem, social withdrawal, substance abuse, self-harm and suicide. For minors, who are often subjected to these practices at the insistence of parents who don’t know, or don’t believe, the practice is harmful, the risks of long-term mental and physical health consequences are particularly severe.
“Too many young people have taken their own lives or suffered lifelong harm after being told, falsely, by a therapist or counselor that who they are is wrong, sick or the result of personal or moral failure,” said Clarissa Filgioun, Equality California board president. “Legislative action is long overdue to end the abuse of sexual orientation change efforts and for the state to fulfill its duty to protect consumers — especially youth — from therapeutic misconduct.”
In 2007, the American Psychological Association convened a Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. The task force conducted an intensive review of peer-reviewed studies and concluded that efforts to change sexual orientation are unlikely to be successful and involve some risk of harm. The American Psychiatric Association published a position statement in March of 2000 in which it states that it “opposes any psychiatric treatment such as reparative or conversion therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder.”
Recognizing that there is no credible evidence that any type of “therapy” can change a person’s sexual orientation and that sexual orientation change efforts may cause serious and lasting harms, the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists have also issued cautionary position statements on sexual orientation change efforts.
Recently, Dr. Robert Spitzer, the author of a study often cited by proponents to validate sexual orientation change efforts as a legitimate therapeutic practice, redacted the study and issued a formal apology to the LGBT community.
Senate Bill 1172 is part of a broader effort on the part of Equality California in 2012 to protect and empower lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. Another legislative initiative, Assembly Bill 1856, which was approved by California Assembly, will increase safety for and improve the emotional well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender youth in foster care by creating cultural competency standards that must be met by any foster homes housing LGBT youth.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Simple Humanity
Hi Friends;
Scottie's interest has encouraged me to be more aware of the sex offender laws in various states. Today, being my first day off in two weeks, I found myself a bit bored. Faced with the prospects of either cleaning the house or surfing the internet, well - I guess you can imagine my choice. Anyway, I find it interesting when laws go into effect with one intention, or presumed intention, and end up having the opposite effect. I've highlighted that particular portion of the article, but the rest is quite interesting, if depressing.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and those in the 'States', a great holiday.
http://michiganradio.org/post/sex-offender-registry-first-do-no-harm
For months, I’ve been corresponding with a lady named Virginia Hernandez, whose twenty-three year old son Elio is on Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry. He was accused of accosting a minor for immoral purposes, and pled guilty on the advice of his court-appointed counsel. His mom believes he is innocent, and was pressured into a plea. She says his attorney told him that he was poor, uneducated, and black, and a jury would never believe him.
I have no idea whether this is true, though I know such things do go on in our court system. I also don’t know whether he was guilty, though according to the documents I examined. nobody alleged he actually committed a physical act.
What I do know is that creating a decent and normal life for himself has been made well-nigh impossible by being on the list.
There are few enough jobs as it is in the Detroit area, and being on the sex offender list doesn’t make getting one any easier.
This summer, Elio’s frustrated mom moved the whole family from Macomb County to the Grand Rapids area, where things started to look up. Elio and his brothers did find jobs. They were living in a hotel, but working towards permanent housing.
But then, they hit a Catch-22. Those on the sex offender list are required to register when they move. Elio apparently tried to do that, but was told he could not register until he had a permanent address. That meant he had to return to Macomb County to meet with his probation officer. But when he did, he was arrested for failure to register in Kent County, His mom had to take a bus to Mount Clemens last week to bail him out. They have another court appearance this week. Helen Chapman, a family friend, told me:
“Here is a young man who was trying to do the right thing. And what did he get for it? It seems as if the system was never meant to give people freedom, but to force them to fail.”
According to the latest figures I could find, there are more than forty-seven thousand Michiganders on the sex offender list. Recently, J.J. Prescott from the University of Michigan law school, and Jonah Rockoff from Columbia published a massive national study on whether sex offender registration laws affect behavior.
Their results were stunning. The data indicates that when states keep these lists for the police, but don’t notify the public, they do seem to have a deterrent effect. But not when they include public notification requirements -- as they do in Michigan. The researchers found that making the identities of sex offenders public may actually weaken public safety by making them more likely to commit new crimes. Treating them as automatic pariahs almost seems to guarantee more bad behavior.
If we are determined to treat people as criminals, they are apt to fulfill our expectations, which is something you learn in elementary psychology classes. Now, I am no psychologist.
But it seems clear to me from this study, and Elio’s story, that Michigan’s sex offender registry may not be doing us much good, and is doing some people a whole lot of harm.
Scottie's interest has encouraged me to be more aware of the sex offender laws in various states. Today, being my first day off in two weeks, I found myself a bit bored. Faced with the prospects of either cleaning the house or surfing the internet, well - I guess you can imagine my choice. Anyway, I find it interesting when laws go into effect with one intention, or presumed intention, and end up having the opposite effect. I've highlighted that particular portion of the article, but the rest is quite interesting, if depressing.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and those in the 'States', a great holiday.
http://michiganradio.org/post/sex-offender-registry-first-do-no-harm
For months, I’ve been corresponding with a lady named Virginia Hernandez, whose twenty-three year old son Elio is on Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry. He was accused of accosting a minor for immoral purposes, and pled guilty on the advice of his court-appointed counsel. His mom believes he is innocent, and was pressured into a plea. She says his attorney told him that he was poor, uneducated, and black, and a jury would never believe him.
I have no idea whether this is true, though I know such things do go on in our court system. I also don’t know whether he was guilty, though according to the documents I examined. nobody alleged he actually committed a physical act.
What I do know is that creating a decent and normal life for himself has been made well-nigh impossible by being on the list.
There are few enough jobs as it is in the Detroit area, and being on the sex offender list doesn’t make getting one any easier.
This summer, Elio’s frustrated mom moved the whole family from Macomb County to the Grand Rapids area, where things started to look up. Elio and his brothers did find jobs. They were living in a hotel, but working towards permanent housing.
But then, they hit a Catch-22. Those on the sex offender list are required to register when they move. Elio apparently tried to do that, but was told he could not register until he had a permanent address. That meant he had to return to Macomb County to meet with his probation officer. But when he did, he was arrested for failure to register in Kent County, His mom had to take a bus to Mount Clemens last week to bail him out. They have another court appearance this week. Helen Chapman, a family friend, told me:
“Here is a young man who was trying to do the right thing. And what did he get for it? It seems as if the system was never meant to give people freedom, but to force them to fail.”
According to the latest figures I could find, there are more than forty-seven thousand Michiganders on the sex offender list. Recently, J.J. Prescott from the University of Michigan law school, and Jonah Rockoff from Columbia published a massive national study on whether sex offender registration laws affect behavior.
Their results were stunning. The data indicates that when states keep these lists for the police, but don’t notify the public, they do seem to have a deterrent effect. But not when they include public notification requirements -- as they do in Michigan. The researchers found that making the identities of sex offenders public may actually weaken public safety by making them more likely to commit new crimes. Treating them as automatic pariahs almost seems to guarantee more bad behavior.
If we are determined to treat people as criminals, they are apt to fulfill our expectations, which is something you learn in elementary psychology classes. Now, I am no psychologist.
But it seems clear to me from this study, and Elio’s story, that Michigan’s sex offender registry may not be doing us much good, and is doing some people a whole lot of harm.
Giving Love
Hello Friends;
As some of you know, I've come to really enjoy working with the local dog and cat rescue organization. It is an incredibly minor role, offering my two hands and a willingness to help as my only skills. The pro's tell me what they need, and I do my best to do that for them. They are my hero's because they take on the immense responsibility and chore of teaching and loving these stray dogs and cats, then loving them enough to find a wonderful forever home and - incredible upon incredible - give them to someone else to love. I've seen this, and the rending of the heart is matched only by the absolute joy of achieving this one great goal for that loved one. Truly, it is something I just don't believe my heart could handle.
We just weren't so lucky this last adoption day. We brought out the dogs for viewing, and they all enjoyed the opportunity to see their friends and meet new people. And lots of new people, in fact, there were to give pats and scratches behind the ears, a bit of love to each once unloved dog who wants only to love. But, my most outstanding memories are of three people. An elderly lady, and two boys.
There were some wonderful people, please understand. Many wonderful people, who came to learn about the organization and maybe even think on adopting a dog of their own. Along came one elderly lady, there to do her weekly shopping. She coo'd over each of the dogs, crying a small bit as she walked away because she knew she couldn't afford, quite literally, another mouth to feed. She asked if we would be doing this again, and where, and how she could help. Well, I told her how I helped, how I would come to hold a leash so that a dog could be there for people to see - we have to have a holder for each animal, one to one. She was sad because she didn't own a car, she had walked to the store we held the event. I told her that if she was able to help, I would do the driving - and got a hug of my own.
Then there were the two boys. You see, the area I live has a share of those whose only concern for money is in the counting, and then there are those who are like that elderly lady who can barely feed themselves. Two boys came along, having been sent to the store by their mother. They were about nine and eleven, maybe older. But, as all boys do, they petted each dog - a bit leery of the larger dogs, giggling over the smaller ones, but giving love to each. After a bit, they walked on towards home.... then, heads together stopping a few dozen feet beyond our tables. In a moment, the oldest dug into his front pocket and handed a few dollars and some change over to the little one.... who bouncing like boys seem to do when excited, came running back full of smiles to put in a donation to our little donation box. A flashing smile to the lady behind the table and a quick hug to the nearest dog, he went running back to his older brother, shoe laces flying as he jumped from the curb with a small yip of joy.
Love doesn't require money. It doesn't require a lot of time. All it requires is to set our small needs aside for a moment, place oneself in another's shoes and ask yourself what you would want, need. It's easy with puppy dogs, kittens, things cute and fuzzy. Harder in others. I hope I can always let love lead me.
Love doesn't require money. It doesn't require a lot of time. All it requires is to set our small needs aside for a moment, place oneself in another's shoes and ask yourself what you would want, need. It's easy with puppy dogs, kittens, things cute and fuzzy. Harder in others. I hope I can always let love lead me.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
But, I didn't do anything!
Hi Friends;
I read the post below and imagined the horror of being charged with a crime and being innocent. The powerlessness of knowing the truth and being unable, by lack of ability or the way things are formatted, to make others see that truth. The dread, the absolute fear.
I have been guilty all too often of a rush to judgement. I don't have all the information, yet make calls based on presumption and even a want for the information to go a certain way. I guess I'm not alone in that failing. What frightens me is that the very professionals we ask to weigh the evidence and make good and fair judgements fail so often to do that very vital chore.
We Americans are such a proud people, believing ourselves so very wise and grown up. And yet, with less than 5% of the world's population, we hold 25% of those incarcerated. Why can we not find better ways to help people be productive members of our society? Why do we simply find locking a man, woman, or - horror of all - child away a viable manner of dealing with our problems?
When I think on this, I think about this poem:
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by John Donne
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
Guilty Until Proven Innocent?
By Cassandra Stubbs, Capital Punishment Project at 6:09pm
https://www.aclu.org/blog/capital-punishment/guilty-until-proven-innocent
This week, Northwestern and the University of Michigan law schools released a National Registry of Exonerations, a new database chronicling the ever-growing number of exonerees from our nation’s criminal justice system. The database includes over 2,000 people who spent time – sometimes decades – in prison after being wrongfully convicted of serious crimes. This includes over 100 wrongfully convicted of capital murder – which means they were awaiting execution before their sentences were reversed. The Death Penalty information Center, which tracks information about the death penalty, has documented 140 cases where inmates were released from death row with evidence of their innocence.
As astounding as the numbers in the database are, the list of the innocent is likely far longer than what is documented in this valuable resource - and not all of them were exonerated in time. Troy Davis, an African-American man in Georgia, Carlos DeLuna, a Latino man in Texas, and Cameron Todd Willingham, a white man in Texas, were all executed despite compelling evidence of innocence. The judicial system failed these men twice: it failed them first by convicting them of crimes of which they were likely innocent, and it failed them again by denying them meaningful opportunities to prove their innocence, in time to save their lives.
The National Registry of Exonerations compiles explanations across cases, helping shed light on just how these wrongful convictions happen. The explanations are themselves deeply troubling: false accusations or perjury played a role in a full half of the cases (51%); official misconduct contributed to a large percentage of the wrongful convictions (42%); and junk science or false or misleading evidence played a role in almost a quarter of the cases (24%). Although the ACLU Capital Punishment Project, along with many others, continue to push for important reforms in the area of junk science, it is hard to be optimistic that the problems of perjury or police misconduct will ever fully be untangled from the criminal justice system. Ending the death penalty will not solve these problems - but it will make sure that no one else pays for these flaws with his or her life.
I have been guilty all too often of a rush to judgement. I don't have all the information, yet make calls based on presumption and even a want for the information to go a certain way. I guess I'm not alone in that failing. What frightens me is that the very professionals we ask to weigh the evidence and make good and fair judgements fail so often to do that very vital chore.
We Americans are such a proud people, believing ourselves so very wise and grown up. And yet, with less than 5% of the world's population, we hold 25% of those incarcerated. Why can we not find better ways to help people be productive members of our society? Why do we simply find locking a man, woman, or - horror of all - child away a viable manner of dealing with our problems?
When I think on this, I think about this poem:
For Whom the Bell Tolls
by John Donne
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
Guilty Until Proven Innocent?
By Cassandra Stubbs, Capital Punishment Project at 6:09pm
https://www.aclu.org/blog/capital-punishment/guilty-until-proven-innocent
This week, Northwestern and the University of Michigan law schools released a National Registry of Exonerations, a new database chronicling the ever-growing number of exonerees from our nation’s criminal justice system. The database includes over 2,000 people who spent time – sometimes decades – in prison after being wrongfully convicted of serious crimes. This includes over 100 wrongfully convicted of capital murder – which means they were awaiting execution before their sentences were reversed. The Death Penalty information Center, which tracks information about the death penalty, has documented 140 cases where inmates were released from death row with evidence of their innocence.
As astounding as the numbers in the database are, the list of the innocent is likely far longer than what is documented in this valuable resource - and not all of them were exonerated in time. Troy Davis, an African-American man in Georgia, Carlos DeLuna, a Latino man in Texas, and Cameron Todd Willingham, a white man in Texas, were all executed despite compelling evidence of innocence. The judicial system failed these men twice: it failed them first by convicting them of crimes of which they were likely innocent, and it failed them again by denying them meaningful opportunities to prove their innocence, in time to save their lives.
The National Registry of Exonerations compiles explanations across cases, helping shed light on just how these wrongful convictions happen. The explanations are themselves deeply troubling: false accusations or perjury played a role in a full half of the cases (51%); official misconduct contributed to a large percentage of the wrongful convictions (42%); and junk science or false or misleading evidence played a role in almost a quarter of the cases (24%). Although the ACLU Capital Punishment Project, along with many others, continue to push for important reforms in the area of junk science, it is hard to be optimistic that the problems of perjury or police misconduct will ever fully be untangled from the criminal justice system. Ending the death penalty will not solve these problems - but it will make sure that no one else pays for these flaws with his or her life.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
A busy busy busy week!
Hello friends;
I'd like to let you know what this week has been for me in the hopes of gaining your understanding why I've been absent from the blog. As I said, it's been a busy week!
As some of you know, I went on a short vacation last week from Thursday - late Saturday night. Now some of you are thinking 'that's not much of a vacation'. And, you're right. Unfortunately, it was about the most I could manage. I went to see my parents for Mother's Day. I don't see them all that often, and it's important for me to maintain what few family relationships I still have.
Sunday, I spent the day doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and then sleeping as I had to be at work in the early evening. I didn't make it home until more than 13 hours later - to a pups with seriously crossed legs! In the course of the week, I've worked such odd hours, accumulating over 60 paid hours. That's a bit unusual for me. Adding onto that, I managed to mow 4 lawns, (have two remaining) and volunteered 3.5 hours with the local pet rescue organization. Then, just to cap everything off, I got a call from my parents today that they were on their way - and the house is not in shape for visitors! I can always sleep sometime next week....
All of these hours came for one purpose: I'm finally joining the "normal" people and getting the chance to work day shift hours, moving to another position. Even got a small raise! I've wanted this type of move for a long time, and it came in a rush. So, for the first half of my day I trained my replacement as much as possible, and for the second half I trained for my new position with tired feet and bleary eyes, but a grin. I'm excited and nervous for the new responsibilities, and I'm somewhat sad to move away from the people I've worked alongside for so many years, but I think in all this is going to be a good match for me.
So, to all of you who have made comments but not seen me acknowledge them... I saw them, but couldn't put to cogent thoughts together to understand or respond to you. I think, though, that I will have a better chance to put together a good blog for your enjoyment as I get the chance for rest and even a passing opportunity to get exercise and eat right. Hey, it could happen!
Thanks for your patience, my friends.
randy.
I'd like to let you know what this week has been for me in the hopes of gaining your understanding why I've been absent from the blog. As I said, it's been a busy week!
As some of you know, I went on a short vacation last week from Thursday - late Saturday night. Now some of you are thinking 'that's not much of a vacation'. And, you're right. Unfortunately, it was about the most I could manage. I went to see my parents for Mother's Day. I don't see them all that often, and it's important for me to maintain what few family relationships I still have.
All of these hours came for one purpose: I'm finally joining the "normal" people and getting the chance to work day shift hours, moving to another position. Even got a small raise! I've wanted this type of move for a long time, and it came in a rush. So, for the first half of my day I trained my replacement as much as possible, and for the second half I trained for my new position with tired feet and bleary eyes, but a grin. I'm excited and nervous for the new responsibilities, and I'm somewhat sad to move away from the people I've worked alongside for so many years, but I think in all this is going to be a good match for me.
So, to all of you who have made comments but not seen me acknowledge them... I saw them, but couldn't put to cogent thoughts together to understand or respond to you. I think, though, that I will have a better chance to put together a good blog for your enjoyment as I get the chance for rest and even a passing opportunity to get exercise and eat right. Hey, it could happen!
Thanks for your patience, my friends.
randy.
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