Conversion Therapy Bans by U.S. State

Why do states and municipalities enact conversion therapy bans?

The answer is simple. Conversion therapy professes to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to change or overcome their sexual orientation or gender identity. But this family of therapies has the opposite effect: reinforcing depression, low self-esteem, shame, addictive and compulsive behavior, loss of religious faith, self-harm, and suicidal tendencies. Conversion therapy also tears families apart, as it demands that youths erroneously blame their parents for their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Conversion therapy is inherently harmful, unprofessional, unscientific, and fraudulent.

Consequently, regional efforts to ban conversion therapy focus upon professional mental-health providers and their license to provide constructive, responsible, and professional care that is accepted and regulated by the mental-health science community.

As of now, conversion therapy has been banned in 22 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 115 municipalities within the United States.

  1. California
  2. Colorado
  3. Connecticut
  4. Delaware
  5. District of Columbia
  6. Hawaii
  7. Illinois
  8. Maine
  9. Maryland
  10. Massachusetts
  11. Michigan
  12. Minnesota
  13. Nevada
  14. New Hampshire
  15. New Jersey
  16. New Mexico
  17. New York
  18. Oregon
  19. Rhode Island
  20. Vermont
  21. Washington
  22. Utah
  23. Virginia

For information about municipalities that have banned conversion therapy, or about pending state legislation, please contact Mathew Shurka at Born Perfect.