The proposed ban on "conversion therapy" is an impermissible assault on the rights and responsibilities of parents to raise happy and healthy children. Young children and teens are always struggling to make sense of sex and their newly discovered sexual personas. They need sound guidance and careful counseling, not a rush to medications, permanently life-altering surgeries and other similar measures by agenda-driven "psychologists". Parents know and love their children best. The professional "counseling" community has many good people but also far too many others harboring an agenda that sexualizes vulnerable children and seeks to convince them that they are the wrong sex or gender. This is child abuse and cannot go unchallenged. Everyone with any common sense realizes that parents are the best teachers and want what is best for their children. Parents love their children! They have the right to guide their children on these matters as they best determine. I see dozens of comments here from people who we know belong to radical activist organizations that are not even located within our Commonwealth. This matter is extremely serious and should be left to Virginians. Outside agitators should not be flooding comments to the Virginia Board.
Virginia has a proud tradition of honoring first amendment and parental rights. Those rights should preserved at all costs. If a young man or woman wants to become gay or change his or her gender, that person is free to do so once they are 18 and beyond. Moreover, sexual identity changes over one's lifetime for some people. They should be allowed reparative therapy if needed. Let's not abuse our young and precious babies by forcing them to question their identities and not allowing them to consider other options. Let's also preserve the right of adults to get ANY TYPE of counseling needed. It seems that the pro-LGBTQ lobby is afraid that people who question their sexuality at a later date might discover that they have been wronged by those in the counseling professions.