Legislation was introduced this week that could make Allentown the next municipality to ban conversion therapy for minors.
Out Allentown City Council member Candida Affa submitted the bill at the body’s Wednesday meeting. It has to be considered by a committee before Council can weigh in, but advocates are hopeful for its swift passage.
To be successful, legislation in Allentown needs the support of four members of Council and the administration of Mayor Ed Pawlowski. Five of Affa’s colleagues joined her as cosponsors, and Pawlowski is also in support.
The only councilmember not cosponsoring is Roger MacLean.
“He hasn’t said he’s opposed, but decided not to be a cosponsor,” explained Adrian Shanker, executive director of Bradbury-Sullivan Community Center.
The center organized the legislative effort. The National Center for Lesbian Rights drafted the bill along with Philadelphia firm Jerner & Palmer. Both agencies provided services on a pro-bono basis.
“We were happy to provide pro-bono services in doing research, reviewing and revising the ordinance,” said Jerner & Palmer partner Tiffany Palmer. “Pennsylvania, unfortunately, doesn’t have a state legislature that has been able to pass any progressive LGBT-rights legislation — ever. So the fact that cities, municipalities and local governments are taking up this task is a great thing for our state.”
“The American Psychological Association has linked conversion therapy to depression, substance abuse and even suicide, and these risks are particularly acute for youth,” added National Center for Lesbian Rights Youth Policy Counsel and Born Perfect Campaign Coordinator Carolyn Reyes. “Today, we are proud to stand with Adrian Shanker and the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in support of the introduction of an ordinance to protect and improve the lives of our LGBTQ youth.”
The legislation would prohibit licensed mental-health providers in Allentown from administering efforts to change a minor’s sexual orientation.
“This isn’t regulating clergy, this is regulating licensed mental-health professionals,” Shanker noted. “Conversion therapy has been debunked by every major mental-health organization. There’s no reason LGBT youth should be subject to harmful practices like conversion therapy.”
Those found to be in violation of the ordinance would have their business licenses revoked. The legislation establishes a board that would consider appeals from providers whose licenses were revoked.
Pittsburgh became the first city in the state to ban conversion therapy for minors last year. Similar legislation is awaiting a vote by Philadelphia City Council after advancing unanimously out of committee earlier this month.
Shanker envisions the Allentown legislation as a model for smaller municipalities.
“This is the first time that an ordinance to protect youth from conversion therapy is being introduced in a third-class city in Pennsylvania, so we want to make sure we pass this with forward momentum so this can be a topic that can be raised in other municipalities in the future.”
The issue is especially critical given the new federal administration, Shanker noted.
“Our new president appointed a secretary of education and a secretary of health and human services and ran with a vice president who have all supported organizations that believe in conversion therapy,” Shanker said. “We see this as a very real issue in 2017 because of the elevation of people into positions of power who have supported these practices that we all know to be harmful and to not be grounded in science.”