As the LGBT movement gains widespread popularity, dissenting voices, including those who have left the LGBT lifestyle, are increasingly being silenced. Facebook has recently joined this trend, enforcing a new “hate speech” policy to remove posts from organizations that offer counseling to people dealing with gender dysphoria or unwanted same-sex attraction from Facebook and Instagram. After a targeted campaign from pro-LGBT groups, Facebook decided to remove posts from two non-profits, Core Issues Trust (CIT) and Restored Hope Network, and announced that it would be introducing a new policy classifying content that promotes “conversion therapy” as hate speech under their community guidelines, explaining that they would be doing so because they “don't allow attacks against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The counseling that Facebook is targeting under this new policy is not an “attack” on anyone, but voluntary talk therapy for people facing gender dysphoria or unwanted same-sex attraction. Ryan T. Anderson pointed out that under Facebook’s new approach, “Content about therapy to help a teen with a body-image struggle due to anorexia would be allowed, but content on the same therapeutic techniques to help a teen with a body-image struggle due to gender dysphoria would be removed.” Family Research Council noted that if Facebook was really interested in free expression, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently told Congress, they would immediately reverse the decision to engage in this viewpoint discrimination.
Not only is Facebook moving forward to implement a policy that would discriminate against certain viewpoints, but by removing posts when these new guidelines have not yet been finalized or released, they are enforcing a “policy” that does not yet exist in their community guidelines. Furthermore, most of the posts that they removed were videos of people sharing their stories and saying that these stories constitute a hateful “attack.” Facebook is redifining “hate speech” in order to silence the voices of those who have chosen to leave the LGBT movement.
CIT has faced silencing efforts from other companies as well. Barclays Bank has suspended CIT’s accounts, and Mailchimp and PayPal have reportedly done so, as well. YouTube took similar action against Walt Heyer, a man who formerly lived as a transgender woman, when they censored portions of his testimony in June. States and cities in the U.S. have also taken action to mute the voices of those who do not embrace the LGBT agenda by implementing counseling bans that infringe on client-counselor relationships by limiting what a licensed counselor may say to a client. Though a state-wide mandate has not passed in Minnesota several cities have implemented local bans, including Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Duluth. Currently West St. Paul, Winona, Robbinsdale, St. Louis Park, and Golden Valley are considering or have begun to discuss implementing similar bans.
Viewpoint discrimination has real, human costs by creating barriers to information that does not fall in line with the LGBT agenda and concealing options from people who do not want to adopt the LGBT lifestyle. Counseling bans add to this by legally restricting which options a licensed counselor can help their client explore. It is not the role of corporations or city councils to determine what a counselor may say to their client or which options someone who is struggling with gender dysphoria or unwanted same-sex attraction may pursue.
A study that was widely touted last fall as “proving” that “gender transition” is necessary actually pointed to the opposite conclusion—the promised improvements to mental health were elusive, and in exchange young people faced the long-term effects of surgery and hormone replacement therapy. Last week, the journal offered a correction to the published study stating, “the results demonstrated no advantage of surgery in relation to subsequent mood or anxiety disorder-related health care.” The study that has been touted by many media sources as “proving” the effectiveness of “gender reassignment” as “treatment” for gender dysphoria did the opposite. If such drastic measures as transitioning do not actually offer the purported benefits, then it is reasonable to conclude that watchful waiting is the preferable solution. Counseling bans eliminate periods of watchful waiting by preventing counselors from taking any approach that does not encourage a client to undergo “gender transition” or otherwise embrace the LGBT movement. Unfortunately, local governments in Minnesota and across the US, as well as companies like Facebook, PayPal, and YouTube would rather curry favor with the LGBT movement than leave room for an approach that prioritizes the well-being of teens struggling with gender dysphoria.
Facebook’s new policy has not yet been released. This means that there’s still time to let them know what you think! Contact them today to let them know that you do not support viewpoint discrimination. And if you live in one of the municipalities that is currently considering a counseling ban, get in touch with your city leaders and ask them to support counseling freedom.
West St. Paul’s proposed ban will have its second reading on August 17th and is welcoming public comment. If you live in West St. Paul, email the city clerk at sbuecksler@wspmn.gov by 4:30 on the 17th to sign up to speak in person or submit electronic testimony.
Th Robbinsdale Human Rights Committee will be meeting on August 10th at 6:30pm to discuss a possible ban. Questions and comments can be communicated during regular business hours at 763-531-1255.
