Colorado on Friday became the 18th state to ban “conversion therapy” for minors, a discredited practice that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender expression.
Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado, who is gay, signed the bill into law a day before the start of Pride Month for the L.G.B.T. community. He also signed a bill making it easier for transgender people to change the gender listed on state-issued documents.
Afghan Peace Marchers Take Cease-Fire Plea Directly to Taliban
On Wednesday, Maine outlawed conversion therapy, and New York and Massachusetts have also enacted laws banning the practice this year.
Conversion therapy has been around for more than a century. Its most common technique is talk therapy, although it is not uncommon for practitioners to use aversion treatment such as inducing nausea, vomiting or paralysis when a person is aroused by same-sex images, according to a 2018 study by the Williams Institute of the School of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles. In some cases, electric shock has been used, the study said.
The law in Colorado specifically prohibits a licensed physician from engaging in conversion therapy with a minor.
Recent Comments