IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 141 
Expressing the sense of Congress efforts by mental health practitioners to 
change an individual’s sexual orientation and gender identity or expres-
sion are dangerous and harmful and should be prohibited from being 
practiced on minors. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 28, 2012 
Ms. SPEIER (for herself, Mr. DEUTCH, and Mr. CICILLINE) submitted the fol-
lowing concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress efforts by mental health 
practitioners to change an individual’s sexual orientation 
and gender identity or expression are dangerous and 
harmful and should be prohibited from being practiced 
on minors. 
Whereas being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or gender 
nonconforming is not a disorder, disease, illness, defi-
ciency, or shortcoming; 
Whereas the American Psychological Association, American 
Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social 
Workers, American Counseling Association Governing 
Council, and American Psychoanalytic Association have 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:57 Nov 28, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC141.IH
HC141
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with
•HCON 141 IH 
not found ‘‘conversion’’ or ‘‘reparative’’ efforts to be ef-
fective and have found evidence that they are harmful; 
Whereas the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American 
Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Asso-
ciation, the American Psychological Association, the 
American School Counselor Association, the National As-
sociation of School Psychologists, and the National Asso-
ciation of Social Workers, together representing more 
than 480,000 health and mental health professionals, 
have all taken the position that homosexuality is not a 
mental disorder and thus is not something that needs to 
be or can be ‘‘cured’’; 
Whereas the American Psychological Association’s 2009 reso-
lution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual 
Orientation Distress and Change Efforts ‘‘concludes 
there is insufficient evidence to support the use of psy-
chological interventions to change sexual orientation’’; 
Whereas the American Psychiatric Association has opposed 
since 2000 ‘‘any psychiatric treatment, such as ‘repar-
ative’ or conversion therapy, which is based upon the as-
sumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder 
or based upon the a priori assumption that a patient 
should change his/her homosexual orientation’’; 
Whereas the American Psychological Association’s Task 
Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual 
Orientation’s systematic review of peer-reviewed journal 
literature on sexual orientation change efforts concluded 
that sexual orientation change efforts can pose critical 
health risks to lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, includ-
ing confusion, depression, guilt, helplessness, hopeless-
ness, shame, social withdrawal, suicidality, substance 
abuse, stress, disappointment, self-blame, decreased self- 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:57 Nov 28, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC141.IH
HC141
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with
•HCON 141 IH 
esteem and authenticity to others, increased self-hatred, 
hostility and blame toward parents, feelings of anger and 
betrayal, loss of friends and potential romantic partners, 
problems in sexual and emotional intimacy, sexual dys-
function, high-risk sexual behaviors, a feeling of being de-
humanized and untrue to self, a loss of faith, and a sense 
of having wasted time and resources; 
Whereas the American Psychological Association issued a res-
olution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual 
Orientation Distress and Change Efforts in 2009 advis-
ing parents, guardians, young people, and their families 
‘‘to avoid sexual orientation change efforts that portray 
homosexuality as a mental illness or developmental dis-
order and to seek psychotherapy, social support, and edu-
cational services that provide accurate information on 
sexual orientation and sexuality, increase family and 
school support, and reduce rejection of sexual minority 
youth’’; 
Whereas the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psy-
chiatry published an article in 2012 in the Journal of the 
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 
stating: ‘‘Clinicians should be aware that there is no evi-
dence that sexual orientation can be altered through ther-
apy, and that attempts to do so may be harmful. There 
is no empirical evidence adult homosexuality can be pre-
vented if gender nonconforming children are influenced to 
be more gender conforming. Indeed, there is no medically 
valid basis for attempting to prevent homosexuality, 
which is not an illness. On the contrary, such efforts may 
encourage family rejection and undermine self-esteem, 
connectedness and caring, important protective factors 
against suicidal ideation and attempts. Given that there 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:57 Nov 28, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC141.IH
HC141
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with
•HCON 141 IH 
is no evidence that efforts to alter sexual orientation are 
effective, beneficial or necessary, and the possibility that 
they carry the risk of significant harm, such interventions 
are contraindicated.’’; 
Whereas the National Association of Social Workers prepared 
a 1997 policy statement in which it stated: ‘‘Social stig-
matization of lesbian, gay and bisexual people is wide-
spread and is a primary motivating factor in leading 
some people to seek sexual orientation changes. Sexual 
orientation conversion therapies assume that homosexual 
orientation is both pathological and freely chosen. No 
data demonstrates that reparative or conversion therapies 
are effective, and, in fact, they may be harmful.’’; 
Whereas the American Counseling Association Governing 
Council issued a position statement in April of 1999 stat-
ing: ‘‘We oppose ‘the promotion of ‘‘reparative therapy’’ 
as a ‘‘cure’’ for individuals who are homosexual.’ ’’; 
Whereas the American Psychoanalytic Association updated 
its position statement in June 2012 on attempts to 
change sexual orientation, gender, identity, or gender ex-
pression, and in it the association states: ‘‘As with any 
societal prejudice, bias against individuals based on ac-
tual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or 
gender expression negatively affects mental health, con-
tributing to an enduring sense of stigma and pervasive 
self-criticism through the internalization of such preju-
dice. Psychoanalytic technique does not encompass pur-
poseful attempts to ‘convert’, ‘repair’, change or shift an 
individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender 
expression. Such directed efforts are against fundamental 
principles of psychoanalytic treatment and often result in 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:57 Nov 28, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC141.IH
HC141
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with
•HCON 141 IH 
substantial psychological pain by reinforcing damaging 
internalized attitudes.’’; 
Whereas research by Caitlyn Ryan et al. entitled ‘‘Family Re-
jection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in 
White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults’’ 
published in 2009 demonstrates that minors who experi-
ence family rejection based on their sexual orientation 
face especially serious health risks and that such youth 
were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted 
suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of de-
pression, and 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs 
compared with peers from families that reported no or 
low levels of family rejection; and 
Whereas several States have enacted or are considering legis-
lation and other measures to address these ineffective 
and dangerous efforts: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Harming 
Our Kids Resolution’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING SEXUAL ORI-
ENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY OR EX-
PRESSION CHANGE EFFORTS DIRECTED AT 
MINORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—It is the sense of Congress that 
sexual orientation and gender identity or expression 
change efforts directed at minors are discredited and inef-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:57 Nov 28, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HC141.IH
HC141
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with
•HCON 141 IH 
fective, have no legitimate therapeutic purpose, and are 
dangerous and harmful. 
(b) STATE ENCOURAGEMENT.—Congress encourages 
each State to take steps to protect minors from efforts 
that promote or promise to change sexual orientation or 
gender identity or expression, based on the premise that 
homosexuality or transgender identity is a mental illness 
or developmental disorder that can or should be cured. 
(c) SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY 
OR EXPRESSION CHANGE EFFORTS DEFINED.—In this 
resolution, the term ‘‘sexual orientation and gender iden-
tity or expression change efforts’’ means any practice by 
a licensed mental health provider, health care provider, or 
counselor that seeks or purports to impose change of an 
individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity or ex-
pression. Such term— 
(1) includes efforts— 
(A) to change behavioral expression of an 
individual’s sexual orientation or gender iden-
tity or expression; or 
(B) to eliminate or reduce sexual or ro-
mantic attractions or feelings toward individ-
uals of the same sex; but 
(2) does not include culturally competent, af-
firmative therapy that— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
23:57 Nov 28, 2012
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HC141.IH
HC141
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with