Honolulu, HI—Hawaii Governor David Ige today signed SB270, a bill that protects LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy and establishes the sexual orientation counseling task force. The discredited practice of conversion therapy falsely claims to be able to change people’s sexual orientation and gender identity, and is widely opposed by prominent professional health associations including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Supported by The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth, Senators Chang, Baker, and Rhoads introduced the bill on January 20, 2017. The organization supported the bill’s passage through its 50 Bills 50 States initiative by assisting in the drafting of the bill, and by directing its network of Hawaiian volunteer activists to contact local legislators, encouraging them to support this critical bill to protect LGBTQ young people. The organization also worked with State Rep Michael Golojuch, Chairman of the LGBT Caucus of Democratic Party of Hawaii, NCLR and HRC to support the bill’s passage.
The Trevor Project is invested in ending conversion therapy in every state because youth from highly rejecting families are more than 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than youth from accepting families. Over the last 12 months, more than 120 young people from Hawaii have contacted The Trevor Project’s crisis services.
“We’re seeing significant momentum to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy, and The Trevor Project calls on even more states to join Hawaii in banning this barbaric practice,” said Amit Paley, CEO and Executive Director of The Trevor Project. “We look forward to continuing 50 Bills 50 States’ important work alongside new state legislators to protect even more LGBTQ young people nationwide.”
“I’m excited to see Hawaii become the 12th state to protect LGBTQ young people from the discredited practice of conversion therapy,” said Sam Brinton, Head of Advocacy & Government Affairs for The Trevor Project. “I’m proud to continue working alongside legislators nationwide to eliminate conversion therapy throughout the U.S.”
The Trevor Project’s 50 Bills 50 States campaign works to introduce legislation to ban conversion therapy in every state in the country. So far bills have been introduced or successfully passed in 34 states. People can sign up to join 50 Bills 50 States by texting “TREVOR” to 40649.
About The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also operates an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, an advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and a research team to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at via chat www.TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting to .
CONTACT
Kevin Wong
The Trevor Project
646.576.7044
[email protected]
