Details Meeting Name: City Council Agenda status: Final Meeting date/time: 6/17/2020 10:00 AM Minutes status: Final   Meeting location: Council Chambers - 3rd Floor Remote public hearing for Ord 20-15. Published agenda: Agenda Published minutes: Not available   Meeting video: Video   Attachments: Meeting Items (1) Public Comments (4) 1 record Group Clear sorting Clear grouping Group by Type Group by Result Export Export to Excel Export to PDF Export to Word Show: Legislation only Legislation only All agenda items File # Ver. Agenda # Type Title Action Result Action Details Video Ord 20-15 1 1 Ordinance Creating Chapter 190 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code entitled "Prohibition of Conversion Therapy Directed to Minors." Public Hearing Closed; Laid Over to Fourth Reading/Final Adoption Pass Action details Video  Add New Comment 4 records Group Clear sorting Clear grouping Group by File # Group by Name Group by District Group by Opinion Export Export to Excel Export to PDF Export to Word File # Date  Name District Opinion Comment Action Ord 20-15 6/17/2020 8:42 PM Ken Harris   Against The mental health care this ordinance would ban is not unethical. In fact it has helped many people. Nicholas A. ***mings, former president of the American Psychological ***ociation and former chief psychologist for Kaiser Permanente, writes, “Of the roughly 18,000 gay and ******* patients whom we treated over 25 years through Kaiser, I believe that most had satisfactory outcomes. The majority were able to attain a happier and more stable ****sexual lifestyle. Of the patients I oversaw who sought to change their orientation, hundreds were successful.” +1 Ord 20-15 6/17/2020 8:15 PM Ken Harris   Against Why do you want to ban certain kids who desire psychological help from receiving it in St.Paul? The American Psychological ***ociation acknowledges that some people, including children and adolescents, may experience “distress” about having same-sex attractions and consider such feelings to be unwanted, without mention of any outside coercion. So some minors want less distress and desire mental health care that will mitigate it. Supporters of this ordinance want, however, to ensure that those vulnerable minors are prohibited from receiving such medical care in St. Paul. Why vote to prolong suffering? The American Psychological ***ociation has acknowledged that “for some, sexual orientation identity . . . is fluid or has an indefinite outcome.” Why should St. Paul prevent minors from receiving help to arriving at the sexual identity that they say they want? Who are you to stand in their way? +1 Ord 20-15 6/17/2020 3:26 PM Casey Pick, The Trevor Project   For The Trevor Project, the world's largest provider of suicide prevention and crisis intervention services for LGBTQ youth, strongly supports Ord 20-15, which will protect St. Paul's youth from dangerous and discredited conversion therapy efforts. In the last year, more than 1000 Minnesota youth have reached out to The Trevor Project for help. Nationwide, many of the youth we serve are survivors of conversion therapy, or have a credible fear of being subjected to conversion therapy. Thank you for acting on their behalf to end this practice in St. Paul. -2 Ord 20-15 6/17/2020 1:39 AM Dale   For I strongly support the ordinance before you to ban conversion therapy directed to minors. However, I respectfully ask you consider a Prohibition of all Conversion Therapy, regardless of the person being a minor or adult because there is no scientifically rigorous evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is considered unethical and harmful mental health practice. No one should be permitted to subject another person to harmful mental health practices. +2 -2