[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 109 (Thursday, June 27, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4631-S4632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mr. Booker, Ms. Baldwin, Mr.
Blumenthal, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Ms.
Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms.
Harris, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez,
Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Reed, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Mr.
Schatz, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Sinema, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr.
Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Wyden):
S. 2008. A bill to prohibit, as an unfair or deceptive act or
practice, commercial sexual orientation conversion therapy, and for
other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, half a century ago, members of the
LGBTQIA+ community, who were tired of being accosted and abused and
assaulted just because of who they were or whom they loved, took a
stand to say ``enough is enough'' and pushed back against the forces of
history that said they were anything less than.
Thanks to the sacrifice of freedom fighters like Marsha P. Johnson,
Sylvia Rivera, and so many others both named and unnamed who dared that
day to live their entire truth, countless others today have been set
free. Now, 50 years later, through dogged persistence and sacrifice, we
have been able to pass laws and create policies that respect and
protect members of the LGBTQIA+ community--from challenging hateful
bans against lesbian and gay relationships, to securing landmark civil
rights protections against hate crimes, to, finally, making marriage
equality the law of our land.
This year, as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall
protests that sparked the modern movement for LGBTQ equality, I am very
proud to stand here on the floor of the Senate as an unapologetic ally
for this vibrant community.
As we close out this month's annual celebration of Pride, I come to
the floor today to reintroduce legislation to further protect gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and gender
nonconforming individuals from the dogma of our Nation's homophobic and
transphobic past because, even as we reflect on the progress we have
made, we have a lot more to do to achieve equality.
In the Senate, I have been very proud to stand shoulder to shoulder
with the community in Washington State and around the country in order
to continue our progress and work to expand protections to help members
of the community thrive, from our efforts to reduce bullying and
harassment at colleges and universities through legislation named after
Tyler Clementi--a student who tragically died by suicide in college--to
reducing the epidemic of harassment and discrimination in workplaces
through the Be HEARD Act, which is a bill I recently introduced that
would hold businesses accountable for harassment and discrimination,
give workers the resources and support they need to seek justice, and
clarify that discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and
gender identity are unlawful under the Civil Rights Act.
I am very grateful to my colleague Senator Booker and our friend
Representative Lieu for joining me today in reintroducing the
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act--the first Federal ban on so-called
conversion therapy--because, in 2019, we know that being a member of
the LGBTQIA+ community isn't an affliction, a disease, or some chronic
condition that requires medical treatment; rather, the politicians who
say it is are on the wrong side of history.
In fact, we know that conversion therapy is a painful and
discriminatory practice. The American Psychological Association has
said it ``is unlikely to be successful in changing someone's sexual
orientation'' and would ``involve some risk of harm'' contrary to the
claims of practitioners and advocates. It is also a practice that is
especially harmful to LGBTQIA+ children, who we already know are
vulnerable to increased harassment and discrimination because of who
they are.
I am proud that my home State of Washington has already banned
conversion therapy, but that is not enough so long as any child or any
person in our country can be harmed by this sham practice. That is why
I am very proud to be here to reintroduce the Therapeutic Fraud
Prevention Act and to remind all of our friends that we stand with them
throughout history and throughout the future to make sure they are
protected with their rights.
The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act is legislation that would
classify conversion therapy as the fraudulent practice our communities
and science know it is. It would clarify in our Nation's laws that
providing or facilitating commercial conversion therapy or facilitating
or advertising such services is an unfair and deceptive practice, and
it would ensure that Federal regulators and State attorneys general
have the ability and authority to enforce this ban.
We have come far in our long battle for LGBTQIA+ equality, and I am
ready to get to work to get this important legislation over the finish
line because, after 50 years of struggle, as a nation, we have come to
know that love is love and that love wins. However, after 50 years, we
also know it gets better but only if we work to make it so.
From the horrors of the Pulse massacre, to the ever-climbing number
of murdered African-American and Latinx transgender women, to President
Trump's transgender military ban and his administration's continuous
assault on LGBTQIA+ rights, so many of the challenges that face the
community today mirror the critical struggles they faced all those
years ago at the Stonewall Inn. Like then, too many in the community
are still threatened by even greater danger because they are also
women, transgender, people of color, poor, and the list goes on.
[[Page S4632]]
That is why this legislation and recognitions like Pride Month are so
important. All month, I have been thrilled to see the photos from Pride
celebrations back in Washington State--from Spokane, to Yakima, to
Olympia--filled with so much cheer, resilience, and strength, only to
come back here to Washington and argue in this Chamber about why we
shouldn't confirm people to judicial or executive posts who don't
believe in the full humanity and equality of so many of our family
members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
It is obvious that this work is still very important, and we have it
cut out for us, but I remain hopeful because I have seen how far we
have come in just 50 years. By continuing to honor the righteous
tradition of Marsha, Sylvia, and so many others by raising our voices
against injustice and taking key steps like this legislation to make
life easier for the next generation of LGBTQIA+ Americans, I know we
will see even more progress in the next 50 years.
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