A conservative organization with a long history of anti-LGBT advocacy is opposing efforts by the state Department of Health and Human Services to implement a program providing early intervention services for those with HIV.
The proposed Early Intervention Service Program will provide services “for individuals who are unaware of their Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status in order to provide referrals to prevention services as well as referrals to HIV care services,” the department explains, and will include “HIV testing, targeted counseling services, referral services as well as health education to assist clients in navigating the HIV system of care.”
The department expects the program “will lead to an increase in the number of New Hampshire residents who are made aware of their HIV status allowing them the opportunity to be referred to care. In addition, individuals who are at high risk of acquiring HIV will be provided with referrals to prevention services,” they add. “These services are designed to reduce individuals contracting HIV as well as lowering the transmission of the virus to others.”
‘We want no involvement with the abortion industry’
HHS posted a Request for Proposals to implement the program in December 2016. Two proposals were received and evaluated. Both vendors, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Equality Health Center (formerly known as the Concord Feminist Health Center), were selected to receive funding.
Wednesday, the Executive Council is scheduled to review the department’s request to contract with the two vendors to provide the early intervention services.
Cornerstone Action, a conservative “pro-family” advocacy organization, opposes the agreement, citing the fact that Planned Parenthood and Equality Health also provide abortion services. “It’s not enough to say that a particular contract isn’t about abortion,” the group noted is an email alert. “We want no involvement with the abortion industry.”
A history of anti-LGBT advocacy
It’s worth noting that in addition to an anti-abortion agenda that includes support for personhood legislation, Cornerstone has a long history of anti-LGBT advocacy.
Founder Karen Testerman opposed the state’s civil union legislation in 2007, referring to gays and lesbians as a “special interest group.” The group subsequently opposed marriage equality, noting, “When adult desires for acceptance conflict with the needs of children, the social science is squarely on the side of children.”
In 2011, Cornerstone fought to roll back marriage equality with legislation that would have replaced same-sex marriage with a novel civil union available to any two adults – including family members – that would have offered no legal protections.
Today, Cornerstone continues to oppose same-sex unions, claiming they will lead to marriage becoming irrelevant. “Redefining marriage irrevocably changes society,” Cornerstone’s website warns. “Public institutions such as schools, business, and charitable organizations are forced to promote the marriage redefiners’ agenda, to include homosexualizing school curriculum against the will of parents.”
“Once marriage is arbitrarily redefined to mean same-sex couples,” the group argues, “there is no good argument against another legislature calling any other type of relationship ‘marriage.’ At that point, the institution of marriage is pointless.”
Transgender discrimination and conversion therapy
This year the group opposed House legislation to ban discrimination against transgender individuals and targeted legislators with hundreds of messages from an online petition. (Cornerstone’s name was nowhere to be found on the site hosting the petition, biologymattersnh.com, but the site’s images reside on Cornerstone’s web server and the group acknowledged ownership in an interview with LifeSiteNews.)
Cornerstone also opposed legislation to ban so-called conversion therapy for minors; a widely discredited practice that claims to “cure” homosexuality. In Senate testimony, Cornerstone executive director Shannon McGinley claimed the ban would violate the U.S. Constitution. “Psychotherapy/counseling is both medical conduct and speech. Banning [sexuality orientation change efforts] therapy is against the First Amendment of the Constitution and is viewpoint discrimination,” she said.
The state Executive Council reconvenes at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. The Early Intervention Service Program is one of 163 items on the consent calendar scheduled for review.