By Kaylyn Kluck
[email protected]

LGBT conversion therapy practices are about to go under the scrutiny of the Iowa Board of Medicine.

A petition that was brought forward by the State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council to ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors by state physicians was denied by the board for the time being.

However, the board declared that a subcommittee would be formed to determine whether it should rule to prohibit physicians from practicing conversion therapy on minors.

Members of the council appeared before the Board on April 8 to call for the ban of conversion therapy, which is known as “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts” in the council’s petition.

According to the petition, “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts” includes any practice by a licensed physician that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation, which may include changing behaviors, identity, and feelings.

Social and religious leaders, therapy survivors, and health-care professionals joined members of the Council in presenting the petition to the Board. The council will present a similar petition to the Board of Psychology in May.

Mark Bowden, the executive director of the Iowa Board of Medicine, said the subcommittee would look at national standards and investigate medical practices associated with conversion therapy over the course of six months to a year before reporting back to the full board.

“I think you can presume that the board will do its diligence in looking at the information that’s there before they determine whether or not it’s appropriate for this board to get involved in such a rule,” he said.

Keenan Crow, the deputy director for LGBT organization Iowa One, said there is no scientific basis for conversion therapy.

“It’s a dangerous, discredited practice aimed at changing the sexual orientation or gender identity of someone,” Crow said. “It’s based on a false belief that being LGBT is a mental illness which needs to be cured.”

Bowden said the topic of conversion therapy is a sensitive one, but it will be a good discussion.

“There was some concern expressed about the prohibition, because there may be children who want the therapy, and if it was prohibited then what would happen?” he said.

Bowden said the Board of Medicine is not currently aware of any physicians who are practicing conversion therapy in Iowa, but they are still willing to look into a ban.

“As the petitioners acknowledged in the meeting on Friday, they weren’t reacting to issues that were happening in Iowa,” he said. “They were talking about some issues in other states and they saw this as a potentially preemptive thing that Iowa could do.”

Crow said there are no medical centers openly advertising conversion therapy, so it is difficult to find out where it’s happening in the state.

“We hear from survivors on occasion who have gone through this, so it does seem to still be occurring,” Crow said. “But it is hard to track down in this particular state. A lot of kids will get sent out of state or they will go through underground networks by word-of-mouth.”

However, a ban from the Board of Medicine would only apply to physicians, leaving many nurse practitioners, health counselors, social workers, and psychologists unregulated.

“There are many, many other health-care providers in Iowa who might provide the same services,” Bowden said.  “So even if our Board of Medicine adopted a rule that somehow reflected the objectives of the group, that certainly wouldn’t encompass every health-care provider who provides it.”

Alex Bare, a voting member of the Youth Advisory Counsel and a University of Iowa freshman, said the council tried to have similar law pass by the Legislature last year, but it could not make it past the House of Representatives. Upon learning that conversion therapy could be banned through the state medicine boards, the organization decided to petition.

“We see this as a steppingstone, as a way to an outright ban that we hope will pass through the Legislature once the House becomes a little less hostile to social issues,” Bare said. “If this is able to go through the Board of Medicine and achieve the support of our state’s own doctors and psychiatrists, there’s really no way a Legislature is going to be able to say no to such a law.”

Bare said that by standing up against conversion therapy, the council hopes to raise awareness of the tactics that have been used against young LGBT individuals and create a safer environment if they aren’t sure whether to come out or not.

“So really, it’s not just about banning the practice, it’s also leading to public awareness and support,” he said.