Palm Beach County FL – Petition Against Therapy Ban
Dear Palm Beach County Florida Office of the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners,
Mayor Paulette Burdick, Vice Mayor Melissa McKinlay,
Commissioner Hal Valeche, Commissioner Dave Kerner, Commissioner Steven Abrams,
Commissioner Mary Lou Berger, Commissioner Mack Bernard,
Re: Petition Against Therapy Ban
Hundreds of Palm Beach county residents are asking that you vote “NO” on prohibiting minors from receiving counseling for unwanted homosexual attractions and/or gender identity confusion. In fact, 924 people have signed the petition below, and the number continues to grow.
This ordinance is:
1. Unlawful
A. County Commissioners do not have jurisdiction over state-licensed professionals.
B. This ordinance violates the Florida Patients’ Bill of Rights.
2. Unconstitutional
A. It violates freedom of speech – counseling is simply speech.
B. It violates parental rights.
C. It violates freedom of religion.
3. Unnecessary
A. There is not one single case documented where harm has occurred in therapy over this issue. According to the Department of Health, there has never been a single complaint filed in Florida regarding this issue.
B. Therapy is not coercive, it is completely voluntary.
C. The laws and rules governing the practice of counseling protect clients from harm, as do ethical codes of professional associations.
4. Harmful to children
A. There are many homosexual teenagers that are depressed, even suicidal over their unwanted attractions. Depriving them of professional help will cause further harm to them.
B. Children who have been sexually abused and have unwanted attractions or behavior as a result, will be deprived of professional help to change attractions or identity.
C. Children who have been exposed to pornography, in a time where children are over-exposed sexually, will be denied professional help to change unwanted attractions.
D. Children who are gender confused will be denied help to clear up their confusion, unless the counselor is helping them become the opposite sex.
Please consider the terrible ramifications of this ordinance and vote “NO”.