2020 | Week of January 27 | Radio Transcript #1344

Since early November, various people have been working hard to stop officials in Appleton from proceeding with an ordinance they euphemistically call the Youth Mental Health Act. However, last Wednesday, fourteen of the fifteen members of the Appleton Common Council bowed to the political pressure of the minority of Appleton citizens and approved this ordinance.

The so-called Youth Mental Health Act is certainly not about helping the youth in that community have good mental health. It’s exactly the opposite. This proposal would prohibit state-licensed therapists, counselors and social workers from doing anything other than affirming, encouraging, and accepting a minor who is dealing with unwanted same-sex attraction or unwanted gender confusion.

To support their proposal, those officials who authored this cited professional journals and organizations that have time and again shown themselves to be all too willing to jettison the truth and what is truly in the best interest of people in order to advance a political agenda championed by a few, but very loud, very powerful, very well-funded activists who are determined that the LGBTQ agenda will be forced on everyone, like it or not.  They refused to listen to citizens and other professionals who gave them opinions and research that countered what these liberal organizations have spouted. If the mental health of the community’s youth had really been important, the vote would have been different.

Appleton did something we’ve not seen in any other community. First, they removed the portion of the proposal that required that a fee must be charged in order for the ordinance to be invoked. They likely did that because they changed the wording to make it clear that the people doing the counseling have to have a license in order to fall under this ordinance. But I’m sure there are therapists, counselors and social workers who don’t charge a fee—and I’m sure some of those are Christians who will readily fall under the scope of this unhealthy youth act.

The Appleton proposal also was amended to take the city out of enforcement and require that offenders get reported to the state agency that oversees licensure for these therapists, counselors and social workers. The agency would then look into the situation and determine next steps regarding the alleged offender. That was a perplexing move until we learned about what is going on deep inside the state licensing agency.

That agency, the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board will this week hold a hearing on a proposed rule change dealing with this very issue. The proposal includes removing sex as a protected class and replacing that with gender and gender identity to the anti-discrimination language that governs the practice of these license holders. Any practitioner found guilty of discriminating against someone, whatever that might mean, because of his or her gender or gender identity would be accused of unethical, unprofessional conduct and be subject to discipline, up to including losing his or her license to practice.

The second item of concern says that it is unethical and unprofessional conduct to use or promote “any intervention or method [which most assuredly includes so-called conversion therapy which is essentially talk therapy mostly employed by Christians] that has the purpose of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including attempting to change behaviors or expressions of self or to reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender.”

The rule doesn’t stop there. The wording makes it clear that what is totally acceptable is any counseling that provides “acceptance, support, understanding or that facilitates a client’s coping, social support, and identity exploration or development.”

To be clear if this rule is passed, it is just as if it had gone through the normal legislative process and has the full weight of law. Basically what those pushing for this change want is for it to go unnoticed by the legislators who will eventually get to see it for review and oversight. And going unnoticed happens all the time, especially since these two items are part of 18 other proposed rule changes. Easy to miss.

This move is an end-run around the normal legislative process. Liberal progressives know these kind of sweeping changes won’t go anywhere in this current legislature. So they are using not only local communities but now state agencies that are becoming filled with more and more Governor Evers’ appointees to advance their liberal, dangerous, unhealthy agenda.

Elections have consequences at every level of government. If this isn’t a wake-up call for people as we head to our spring and fall elections this year, I don’t know what will be. God help us.

This is Julaine Appling for Wisconsin Family Council reminding you the Prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”