[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 18039]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         REINTRODUCTION OF THE STOP HARMING OUR KIDS RESOLUTION

  (Ms. SPEIER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, when Jerry Spencer told his family that he 
was gay, his mother told him not to worry about it because they would 
``fix it.'' This began 7 years of going through so-called ``conversion 
therapy'' to try to make him straight.
  He was forced to put blocks of ice on his hands while he looked at 
pictures of guys holding hands and would only be given relief from the 
pain if he pleaded to see a picture of a man and woman holding hands. 
Other survivors of this quackery were told to strip down and hold their 
genitalia or snap themselves with a rubber band each time they 
experienced same-sex attraction. Jerry said that after each therapy 
session he was ``a little more destroyed.''
  These attempts to change LGBT youth are extremely harmful and can 
cause depression, substance abuse, anxiety, self-destructive behavior, 
and even suicide. These practices have been rejected by every 
mainstream mental health association as neither safe nor effective. 
These efforts frequently increase family rejection, which we know make 
LGBT youth eight times more likely to report attempting suicide, five 
times more likely to report high levels of depression, and three times 
more likely to use illegal drugs.
  Recognizing these harms, California and New Jersey have passed laws 
to protect minors. State legislatures in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, 
New York, and Ohio are considering similar measures.
  This week, I will introduce the Stop Harming Our Kids resolution to 
encourage other States to pass laws to protect LGBT minors from these 
harmful and damaging practices.

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