Aloha Supporters!

There are two important bills before Hawaii’s legislature affecting LGBT youth that need your support.

The first, , is a bill that would ban conversion therapy on minors. The House Committee on Education will be hearing this bill Mon., Jan. 27, at 2 p.m.

This “therapy” has been disavowed by every professional medical and mental health organization. Attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation do damage and operate from the premise that being gay or lesbian is “correctable.”

The second is , a bill that adds race, faith and sexual orientation as classes protected in educational or recreational programs. As one of a handful of states that does not have a comprehensive safe schools or anti-bullying law, this is an important step to protecting gay and lesbian youth. Equality Hawaii – along with other organizations – has submitted testimony supporting the bill, but urging the legislature to also add gender identity and gender expression as protected classes. This bill is slated to be heard Jan. 30 by the House Committee on Judiciary.

Please take these actions by Sunday (Jan. 26). The legislature needs to hear from our members in support of both these bills. We have provided sample testimony, which we encourage you to personalize to have greater impact. After you complete the first action (the conversion therapy bill), you will automatically be taken to the screen for the second bill.

Thank you in advance for taking action to protect LGBT youth in Hawaii!