CALIFORNIA: Assembly Votes To Ban Ex-Gay Torture For Adults Too, List It As “Deceptive Business Practice”

The Los Angeles Times reports:

The California Assembly voted Thursday to add gay “conversion therapy” to the state’s list of deceptive business practices, following a debate that focused on the personal experiences of several lawmakers and hinted at potential lawsuits to come. “It is harmful and it is unnecessary,” said Assemblyman Evan Low [photo], the bill’s author.

Low, who told Assembly members that he explored conversion therapy as a teenager and suffered depression over his sexual orientation, insisted that the bill would be limited to efforts that involve the exchange of money. “There’s nothing wrong with me,” he said in an emotional speech on the Assembly floor. “There’s nothing that needs to be changed.”

The bill, which now heads to the Senate, has become the focal point of intense debate on social media. Some religious groups have said such a law would be a violation of their constitutional rights, while advocates insist the provisions are narrow and there’s no credible evidence supporting the efficacy of these services.

California already bans ex-gay torture for minors. The new bill would outlaw the practice for adults too.

As noted above, the bill has gained wide attention in the right wing fever swamps, where anti-LGBT activist Michael Brown has seen success in characterizing it as the “Must Stay Gay” law.