Action | Unprofessional conduct/practice of conversion therapy |
Stage | NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 8/7/2019 |
Virginia elected and appointed officials should uphold the parental right and duty to make healthcare decisions for their children. Unelected regulators should not have authority to limit the field of practitioners because some object to a professional philosophy. Proposed regulation unnecessarily limits Virginians' rights to speech and exercise of religion and denies individuals the choice to pursue desired counsel and treatment. Virginians deserve that their elected officials and those appointed and given regulatory authority will value choice for their citizens and respect diverse professional medical and psychological approaches to solving gender questions. Daily insight into this arena of gender identity is encountered and responses to new questions posed, insight and research provided by both medical and mental health professionals into this rapidly changing area. Regulators need to protect the rigorous professional clinical processes, allow professionally peer reviewed work to circulate and protect this process from the undue influence of those who would force upon all struggling with a gender identity question a one-size fits all response.