In January of 2022, it became known that leadership at Brigham Young University (BYU) forced their Communication Disorders Department to cease services for transgender individuals at their Speech & Hearing Clinic. This went against the will of faculty, including the department head.
Gender affirming voice services can be critical for overcoming dysphoria and improving quality of life, and it is important that transgender people have widespread access. This additionally raised concerns of a breach of the ASHA Code of Ethics, which prohibits discrimination in the delivery of services as well as client abandonment
RJ Risueno, MS CCC/SLP & AC Goldberg, PhD CCC/SLP created and shared a petition addressing the matter. The LGBTQ+ CSDSA highly encourages all to read and sign the petition to reinstate the vital gender affirming services.
Update – February 11, 2022
ASHA released a statement condemning the decision of BYU.
The decision by the Brigham Young University (BYU) administration to require their Department of Communication Disorders to end all voice and communication services at its Speech and Language Clinic for transgender clients is in direct opposition to practice expected of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) members and contrary to the ASHA Code of Ethics (2016).
ASHA Statement On Brigham Young University Administration Decision To Deny Speech Services for Transgender Clients
Update – April 2022
An update to the petition shared the following news:
“We are delighted to share with you that the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA), the accrediting arm of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, has launched a formal investigation to determine whether BYU’s Speech-Language Pathology master’s program is in compliance with the CAA’s Standards of Accreditation.”
AC Goldberg & R.J. Risueño, change.org
An article by Kyle Ashworth at Latter Gay Stories shared additional details, including the official letter sent by the Council on Academic Accreditation to BYU.
This page will be updated with current news and action items regarding the situation.
LGBTQ+ CSDSA 