I urge the Board of Medicine to reject the vague and broadly worded Guidance Document (85-7) that seeks to prohibit “any practice or treatment that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of any gender.”  

Such a regulatory ban would infringe:

• The fundamental rights of parents to care for their children;
• Freedom of Speech and Free Exercise of Religion under the First Amendment; and
• Limits on regulatory authority that ensure conformity with the General Assembly’s decisions.