Perhaps emboldened by the success in New Jersey, a trio of New York state legislators are renewing the push to ban “ex-gay” therapy for minors.
State Sens. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick say New York pols should swiftly pass a similar bill they introduced earlier this year that stalled in Albany. “Conversion therapy is among the worst frauds in history and has been discredited by the American Psychological Association and other leading mental health organizations,” said Hoylman [pictured], the state’s only openly gay senator. The New York bill would bar mental health providers from trying to change the sexual orientation of anyone under the age of 18. If enacted, a licensed mental health provider who ignored the law would be cited for unprofessional conduct and subject to licensing sanctions.
RELATED: The anti-gay Liberty Counsel yesterday announced that it will sue to block New Jersey’s bill from being implemented. California’s bill, which was signed last September by Gov. Jerry Brown, remains on hold due to the Liberty Counsel’s appeal.