The new anti-LGBT Bill is the shame of the South

Our country has made amazing strides in LGBTQ rights in the past couple of years, from allowing gays to serve openly in the military to the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage. However, the fight for LGBTQ equality (especially in terms of transgender rights) is far from over.

North Carolina’s recent House Bill 2 is one of the more notorious examples of this, barring transgender people from using the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity.

But the one that hits closest to home for me is Tennessee’s HB1840, sponsored by the GOP to allow mental health professionals to deny treatment to LGBT individuals on the basis of “sincerely held beliefs.” The bill was recently passed and is awaiting approval from Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (a Republican).

As a native Tennessean, a person who copes with mental illness, and a human being, I have to say that this is one of the most vile pieces of legislation I’ve seen in recent memory.

Proponents of the bill will tell you that it is in the spirit of protecting the religious liberty of mental health professionals. However, this raises a question about the ethics of mental health professionals placing their personal beliefs above their professional duty: to treat their patients effectively according that person’s needs.

And no one who seeks help should be turned away or judged. This is specifically mentioned in the American Counseling Association’s 2014 Code of Ethics, which states: “Counselors do not condone or engage in discrimination against prospective or current clients, students, employees, supervisees, or research participants based on age, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/ partnership status, language preference, socioeconomic status, immigration status, or any basis proscribed by law.” This legislation is in direct conflict with the ethical practices necessary to practice mental healthcare effectively.

Not to mention, this bill can have very real, horrifying consequences for LGBT people if passed into law. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “LGBTQ individuals are almost three times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder.”

In addition to this: “LGBTQ youth are four times more likely and questioning youth are three times more likely to attempt suicide, experience suicidal thoughts or engage in self-harm than straight people. Between 38-65 percent of transgender individuals experience suicidal ideation.” Part of the reason mental illness can effect LGBTQ individuals so much more than straight or cisgender individuals is that those in the LGBTQ community are more likely to face discrimination based on their identity in addition to dealing with the social stigma of mental illness. When society denies care to LGBTQ individuals, mental health professionals should be able to support them. But HB1840 could very likely take away this safety net from this marginalized community.

I really thought things were coming around in this country. People are more accepting of LGBTQ people than they used to be, and while we still have a long way to go in terms of equality, at least we have more room to enact change than we used to.

But Tennessee’s HB1840 is such a gigantic step backward, it’s dangerous. Not only does this harm already vulnerable LGBTQ individuals with mental illness, but it could also set precedent for similar legislation to be passed elsewhere, or even expand to cause wider discrimination.

The counseling office should be a judgement-free space where the only agenda is healing. If you plan on becoming a mental health professional, ask yourself right now, “Would I refuse treatment to a gay/bisexual/transgender person due to my personal beliefs?” If the answer is even remotely close to “yes,” then do the world a favor and choose another profession.