Stop the Therapist Hate Bill in Tennessee: An Open Letter to TN Governor Haslam
Dear Governor Haslam,
Last Wednesday you signed into law a bill that gives therapists in Tennessee the legal right to deny clients services based on their sexual orientation. Regardless of the vague language and legalese you have hid behind in your defense of the bill, we know its primary purpose is to deny the LGBT community in Tennessee access to mental health care.
This bill is a moral abomination. Imagine a world where anyone could refuse service to people based on their sexual orientation. Think about a situation where a firefighter refused to keep a gay institution from burning to the ground, a policeman did not protect somebody or an emergency room turned away a patient. Access to mental healthcare is no less important.
By being on the wrong side of history and misusing your power as governor, you are contributing to the suffering of a community that is already disenfranchised from many mental health services.
As the co-founder of Talkspace, an online therapy company that provides therapy to all and has a large number of LGBT clients, I know all too well the difficulties the LGBT population has getting access to mental health care.
Because of discrimination and stigma, gay, bisexual and transgender populations are three times as likely — compared to heterosexuals — to develop mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse.
LGBT youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide. The suicide rate in Tennessee is 15.2 percent per 100,000 people, which is significantly higher than the national average.
By signing this bill, you have begun the process of exacerbating these issues. People need therapists to prevent and treat mental health issues that affect all of us. Unlike your bill, mental illness does not discriminate.
Mental health care is a right, not a privilege. Reverse your decision and make sure nobody can be denied access to mental health care based on their sexual orientation. The people of your state deserve better.
It is immoral for any government to withhold such a vital service from its citizens. As an online therapy company dedicated to removing the barriers to access to therapy, Talkspace will stand with the LGBT community of Tennessee until therapy is accessible to all.
Sincerely,
Roni Frank
Talkspace Co-Founder and Head of Clinical Services
Roni Frank is the Co-Founder and Head of Clinical Services at Talkspace, a company founded in 2012 with the mission to make therapy convenient, affordable and stigma-free through the use of online therapy. To learn more about Talkspace and the LGBT community, visit this page.
