BTL Staff
State Representative Adam F. Zemke (D-Ann Arbor) sponsored legislation on July 16 to outlaw conversion therapy in Michigan. The bill would prohibit mental health professionals from attempting to change a minor's sexual orientation.
Rep. Zemke and Patrick McAlvey, a recruiter for Google who went through conversion therapy at age 11, spoke with WDET's Craig Fahle yesterday to discuss the bill.
"When we talk about minors, it's very important that we protect their civil rights — their right to be whoever they are or whoever they feel they are," said Zemke. "They sometimes blindly or innocently look to adults to give them guidance and if we're saying it's okay for adults to give them guidance to something that doesn't work and is psychologically harmful, we're not really doing our due diligence to protect them."
Should the bill pass through committee and be brought to the House floor, Zemke states that he has commitments of support from several Republican State Representatives.
Hear the full interview here.
