The Utah Mental Health Licensing Boards are considering proposed language – language that was rejected by our state representatives in a bill introduced in the last legislative session – for new rules concerning therapy for children and teens who have questions concerning their sexual attractions or gender.

We certainly need to protect LGBT youth from any potential aversive or coercive therapy, but we also need to protect the right of all teens to discuss freely their concerns, questions, and values regarding any confusion they may be experiencing related to sex and gender.

We can draft more broadly inclusive protections and rule-making language that doesn’t leave out all our vulnerable youth than the language proposed by Equality Utah and out-of-state political activists. Their proposed language will strip Utah teens and Utah families of their opportunity to work with the licensed professional therapist of their choice who will honor their freely chosen values by restricting what a therapist can discuss.

Please sign the petition and ask the Licensing Boards to Protect All Teens by rejecting the language proposed by the Board of Psychologists and find new language that protects client self-determination of all teens and their families.