WHEELING, W.Va. — Wheeling-Charleston Diocese Bishop Mark Brennan says while he has never endorsed conversion therapy, he is also not in favor of a proposed ordinance that would ban conversion therapy in the city of Wheeling.
Appearing on Thursday’s MetroNews ‘Talkline,’ Brennan said he believes the ordinance, which went through its first reading at a Wheeling City Council meeting this week, takes away any rights that a parent should have.
“This is not in favor of the procedure. I am not in favor of that procedure. The Catholic Church does not endorse it,” Brennan said.
“Parents, they have the right, not the city council of Wheeling to determine what they think is the right course for their children, to try and guide them with that.”
First reported by The Intelligencer in Wheeling, Brennan’s stance on the amendment was first publicly known after Tim Bishop, a spokesman for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, appeared before the council Tuesday night.
The proposed ordinance defines conversion therapy as “any practices or treatments that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender.”
The ordinance would amend the city code, under the Human Rights Commission’s sections on discrimination, and insert language that deems conversion therapy unlawful.
Language included inside the proposed ordinance includes “The practice of conversion therapy discriminates against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity.” Brennan noted during his appearance he has no issue with someone being LGBTQ.
VIEW: The proposed ordinance in the City of Wheeling
There is a religious exemption in the ordinance but Brennan said he believes it’s a right for all parents. He said when a child is going through adolescence, they change and this would stall growth.
“What the ordinance wants to do is say at this point the child is attracted to their own sex and it’s final and you can’t say anything about it. That’s wrong. It’s the parent’s right and obligation to try to guide and form their own children,” Brennan said.
According to The Intelligencer, the ordinance is expected to receive a second reading and a final vote, with an opportunity for public input, during the May 3 meeting the council.
Mark Brennan, Wheeling-Charleston Diocese Bishop, talks with @HoppyKercheval about the controversy in Wheeling over the conversion theory. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nDJuy pic.twitter.com/gTCIZV4e9L
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) April 21, 2022