[Lnc-business] Fwd: Proposal Language - Broaden the scope.

[Justin O'Donnell]

I'm forwarding these suggestions for amending the resolution from Ms. 
Lynch to the Full list.

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Yours in Liberty,

Justin O'Donnell
LNC Region 8 Representative
Chair- LPNH Platform Committee
www.justinodonnell.me

Renew your membership today at https://www.lp.org/wethepeople/?f=jod !

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Proposal Language - Broaden the scope.
Date: 2019-04-11 15:30
 From: Siobhan Lynch <trish at lovinganarchy.com>
To: Libertarian Party -Caryn Ann Harlos <caryn.ann.harlos at lp.org>, 
erin.adams at lp.org, justin.odonnell at lp.org, jeff.lyons at lp.org, 
john.phillips at lp.org

So hey guys, I'm paying attention to this deeply, obviously, but I
also represent a community that is over10,000 strong with this that
has been subjected to these tortures, not just for conversion of gay
kids or trans kids (which I was), but almost any issue that parents
could try and brainwash their kids into stepford kids for. Drugs (many
didn't actually do drugs), Behaviour issues (sometimes simply
disobedience), eating disorders, kids with autism, etc.

This needs to be broader than the LGBT community. It *needs* to be,
and it IS the State both funding and enabling this (see the article I
sent about how the GOP, and specifically Reagan and Bush supported
these places right from their offices!), and the players involved with
torturous conversion therapy are the same people. They just moved
targets.

Places like WWASP (owned by Robert Lichfield a GOP insider), Aspen
Education (owned by Mitt Romney(!), and Straight Inc/KIDS/Kids Helping
Kids/Pathways Family Center, etc (owned by Melvin Sembler - GOP
insider and former ambassador to Italy and Australia under both
Bushes) are in some kind of operation still today. The man who
tortured me at KIDS has become a "priest" and runs a place that does
this in Florida now, and was protected (and even had funding diverted
to him) by Rick Scott for "drug using kids" but it also funded
conversion therapy.

This is a huge issue, and I completely invite people to have a similar
discussion with me as what Jeff had.

But, I have to say, if this is limited to conversion therapy, and is
not a children's rights issue at it's core, that opposes the use of
torturous "therapy" (might want to read Maia Szalavitz's "Help at Any
Cost" - kids DIE in these places) altogether, then it seems to me it's
just virtue signalling.

I'm sorry, that's how I feel about it. All children that were sent to
these places. some bny judges, some by their parents, and the funding
came from the state (rarely did individual families have enough to pay
for this, the cost was exorbitant), they deserve to know the LP is on
their side.

On a practical note, taking a stand on this means that I get to go to
that community and find many more members for the LP, they all know
and support the people who know, recognize, and fight for this never
to happen again, and it would be huge to them that we did.

Below is a crack at it, it's not perfect, needs a lot of editing but
is meant to convey the broadness of this issue -  this subject is
difficult for me, and Caryn Ann has something likely much better in
mind, but PLEASE make this happen at some level. Even if just a press
release. But we need to take a stand on the natural rights of
children.



"WHEREAS, the Libertarian Party asserts that all individuals have the
right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the
right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not
forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever
manner they choose;




WHEREAS, parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise their
children according to their own standards and beliefs, provided that
the rights of children to be free from abuse and neglect are also
protected;


WHEREAS, conversion therapy has been experimented in the past as a
form of punishment for homosexuality, and there has been no evidence
whatsoever that conversion therapy can successfully alter the gender
identity or sexual orientation of unwilling participants;

WHEREAS, this conversion therapy has it's roots in unethical treatment
used since the 70's in issues such as drug use, psychiatric disorders,
and learning disabilities, that describe humiliation, sleep
deprivation, sexual abuse, starvation, and isolation as "treatment
techniques"



WHEREAS, children are often subjected to to this type of therapy
against their will by loving parents whom are unaware that the methods
used in conversion therapy are extremely forceful and abusive, and
that any therapy similar to this has been shown to result in suicide
attempts by 20% of these patients: a five-fold increase in risk of
suicide attempts compared to other teens;




THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that therapy modeled off these abusive
institutions, protected and funded by the State, constitutes consumer
fraud and forceful abuse, which the Libertarian Party opposes.

FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, the Libertarian Party opposes subjecting
unwilling participants through force or coercion, especially children,
to any therapy that violates the non-aggression principle through any
method that would be considered torture.