Bisexual US governor bans LGBT conversion therapy
Kate Brown, the US’s first openly bisexual governor, has signed a bill which bans the use of “conversion therapy” on LGBT youth in the state of Oregon.
House Bill 2307 became law earlier this week. The bill protects anyone under the age of 18 from being encouraged by any state-licensed therapist to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Sadly, Oregon joins only two other states – California and New Jersey – in outlawing conversion therapy for minors. This, despite the fact that homosexuality was declassified as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973.
Conversion therapy uses methods including hypnosis, psychoanalysis and heterosexual dating and gender presentation “training”. Even as late as 1981, lobotomies, chemical castration and electric shock treatment were still used in the US.
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Charlotte Dingle
Charlotte 'Lottie' Dingle is Biscuit's founding editor. When she's not running freelancing for a diverse bunch of clients ranging from Cosmo to Occupy, she enjoys teaching life drawing, discussing life/the universe/everything with her beloved (but smelly) 22-year-old cat, writing flash fiction for her MA course, getting pretentious tattoos, listening to folk music, creating surrealist art, trying to change the world and drinking red wine. Oh, and My Little Pony. Don't forget My Little Pony.
Her favourite biscuits are cream crackers (do they count as biscuits?).
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That’s my Governor!!!
Little bit jealous. Where are our awesome bi politicians!?
There’s a Conservative MP called Daniel Kawczynski… That’s the only one I’ve dug out.
There was Simon Hughes too, but he was ousted last this election, I think.