Now that Chris Christie has signed a law in New Jersey banning gay conversion therapy for minors, three lawmakers in New York are hoping to keep up the momentum and pass the state's own version of the law.
State Sens. Brad Hoylman and Michael Gianaris, and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, all Democrats, are urging other lawmakers in Albany to pass a gay conversion therapy ban they introduced earlier this year, that had stalled in the Legislature.
From the New York Daily News:
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.
“Conversion therapy is among the worst frauds in history and has been discredited by the American Psychological Association and other ... leading mental health organizations,” Hoylman said.
New Jersey and California are the only two states with bans on the practice -- and both are facing court challenges on First Amendment grounds.
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