The “Reluctant Activist:” How an Idaho Counselor Mom Pushed Back on the Social Justice Agenda and How Other States Can Follow.
By Peggy McFarland
 
This article recounts my journey as a “reluctant activist,” a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) thrown into a crisis of conscience when I discovered that Optum Behavioral Health, the state Medicaid administrator, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the Idaho Counseling Association (ICA), and other associations were promoting “social justice,” a political worldview that requires therapists to embrace and encourage the sexualization of children.
 
Through the hard work of brave colleagues and the leadership of informed legislators, like Representative Julianne Young, as well as invaluable legal and lobbying help from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), Senate Bill 1352 became law effective, July 1, 2024 (State of Idaho, 2024a). Idaho counselors and therapists are no longer required to support clients' goals that we believe are harmful based upon our “sincerely held religious, moral, or ethical principles.”
 
This paper recounts how Idaho became a “sanctuary state” where families have access to counseling professionals who cannot be required to affirm and promote an LBGTQ+ identity and lifestyle in children. It offers states, non-profit organizations, and community partners a way forward in their battle to fight the social justice agenda and preserve moral and scientific truth.