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.
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
- Utah
- Virginia
For information about municipalities that have banned conversion therapy, or about pending state legislation, please contact Mathew Shurka at Born Perfect.