David Smith, the owner of Stonewall Fitness,
holds a degree in exercise science from Metropolitan State University
of Denver, several fitness certifications including ACSM Personal
Trainer and Group Fitness. Smith specializes in
exercise, nutrition and wellness programs for the GLBT community and
leads a variety of different programs, including group fitness classes,
personal training, athletic conditioning programs, educational seminars
and workshops. His passion lies in promoting the physical, mental and
social benefits of exercise and healthy diet to the community by
breaking down the barriers often associated with a healthy lifestyle to
make it accessible for everybody.
Immortalize your furry friends with a pet portrait by Maurice Becnel. Clients admire Becnel's
ability to capture the essence of a pet's personality in his work. Says Becnel, "Painting animal portraits, for me, is more fun than it is work. I began
painting them several years ago. The first one I did was for a friend on
her birthday. Because it was a gift it never dawned on me that other
people would commission me to do more. Word got out and before I knew it
more and more of the emails I was receiving from my website were going
to the dogs! And cats!"
Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-CA) will introduce the “Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act” – the first federal legislation to prohibit the practice of providing “conversion therapy” to any person in exchange for monetary compensation or advertising such services. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, called for Congress to rally behind the important legislation in order to end this dangerous and discredited practice of discrimination against LGBT people.
“This vitally important legislation has the potential to save countless lives across this country by helping to end a practice that uses fear and shame to tell LGBT people the only way to find love or acceptance is to change the very nature of who they are,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “We’re proud to work alongside Congressman Lieu and our partners to send a different message - a message of hope, acceptance, and love where such a demeaning and destructive practice isn’t promoted as useful therapy. Ending this harmful profit-making practice is something that all of Congress should be able to rally behind.”
The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act would amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to clarify that providing conversion therapy to any person in exchange for monetary compensation or advertising such services is an unfair or deceptive act or practice. This legislation would give the Federal Trade Commission the duty to enforce this provision in accordance with existing law.
Conversion therapy, often referred to as “sexual orientation change efforts” or “reparative therapy” are practices, sometime performed by licensed mental health providers, which seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. These practices are based on the false premise that being LGBT is a mental illness that needs to be cured, a theory which has been rejected by every major mental health organization for decades. There is no credible evidence that conversion therapy can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. To the contrary, research has clearly shown that conversion therapy poses devastating health risks for LGBT young people. Use of these dangerous practices lead to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicidal behavior, which is why they are universally criticized by the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, and American Medical Association.
HRC and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) have partnered with state equality groups across the nation to pass state legislation to end this dangerous practice, including laws passed in California, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, and most recently in Oregon, to protect young people from these harmful practices by restricting the ability of licensed practitioners to conduct conversion therapy on minors. In February of 2015, a NJ Superior Court judge ruled that misrepresenting homosexuality as a disorder violates the state’s consumer protection laws. Last month, in response to a petition, the White House also weighed in, saying “As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this Administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors.”
In August of 2013, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California’s law, which was signed by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown in 2012. On Monday May 4, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold New Jersey’s law, which was signed by Republican Governor Chris Christie in August of 2013. NCLR attorneys have assisted in the defense of every state bill to date. Unlike these state laws protecting LGBT youth, the federal Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act would prohibit conversion therapy in exchange for monetary compensation for all ages.
HRC is committed to working with Congressman Lieu, NCLR, and the Southern Poverty Law (SPLC) to pass this important legislation into law.
Denver's wildest summer party is quickly approaching and
prospective guests to this year's Do At The Zoo won't want to miss out
on the opportunity to graze on food from more than 60 of Denver's finest
restaurants and imbibe incredible craft brews, cocktails and wines, all
while enjoying up-close animal encounters and dancing in support of the
Zoo's education initiatives.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) applauds U.S. Congressman Ted W. Lieu’s introduction of the Therapeutic Fraud Act, the first nationwide bill that would protect LGBT people from the dangers of conversion therapy. Lieu announced the bill this morning at a press conference attended by survivors of conversion therapy, members of the mental health and medical community, faith leaders, and representatives from NCLR, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Sothern Poverty Law Center.
If passed, the Therapeutic Fraud Act would be the first nation-wide law to protect LGBT people, no matter who they are or where they live, from being defrauded by false and too often deadly promises that they can change their sexual orientation or gender identity.
NCLR #BornPerfect Campaign Coordinator and Staff Attorney Samantha Ames, who spoke at the bill’s introduction, said: “On this historic day, we are honored to stand beside Congressman Lieu, a longtime leader in the fight to end conversion therapy, as well as the courageous survivors who have been speaking out for years against practices that falsely claim to be able to change sexual orientation or gender identity. This visionary bill will not only ensure that no person can profit from peddling services based on blatantly fraudulent claims about sexual orientation or gender identity, it will save lives and send a clear message to every child in the country, no matter who they are or where they live, that they were born perfect."
In 2012, Lieu, then a California legislator, championed the first state bill of its kind to protect LGBT young people from these ineffective and fraudulent practices, which are based on the false claim that sexual orientation is an illness or disorder and that it can be changed. Since then, New Jersey and Washington D.C. have passed similar laws. Earlier this month, Oregon lawmakers approved a similar bill, which Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign into law. Also this month, Congresswoman Jackie Speier reintroduced the Stop Harming Our Kids (SHOK) Resolution of 2015, calling on more states to take action to protect youth from conversion therapy.
Since launching #BornPerfect in 2014, NCLR has partnered with national and state equality groups across the country, including HRC, to pass state legislation to end this dangerous practice In August of 2013, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California’s ban which was signed into law by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown in 2012. On May 4, 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to upheld New Jersey’s ban which was signed into law by Republican Governor Chris Christie in August of 2013. NCLR attorneys have assisted in the defense of every state bill to date.
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David Smith, the owner of Stonewall Fitness,
holds a degree in exercise science from Metropolitan State University
of Denver, several fitness certifications including ACSM Personal
Trainer and Group Fitness. 
