On to the Senate; Governor Says He Will Sign Conversion Therapy Ban bill
Today the Connecticut House of Representatives passed HB 6695, AAC The Protection of Youth from Conversion Therapy, by a vote of 141-8. Sponsored by Representative Jeff Currey and Senator Beth Bye, the bill has 100 co-sponsors and was approved by a unanimous vote of the Public Health Committee.
“We are thrilled with this vote to protect the well-being of Connecticut’s youth,” said Anne Stanback, speaking for the Connecticut Equality Coalition. “We look forward to the Senate vote and to the moment when this barbaric practice is banned in our state.”
State and national medical, mental health, and child welfare organizations all oppose the practice of conversion therapy, a practice which seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Extensive professional literature shows the practice to be both ineffective in changing sexual orientation or gender identity and harmful to youth. Young people who have been subjected to conversion therapy are at increased risk of depression, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, and illegal drug use.
Under the bill’s provisions, any licensed health professional who practices conversion therapy would be subject to discipline by the Department of Public Health up to and including the loss of their professional license.
The Senate will take up the bill next. Governor Dannel Malloy has said he will sign the bill. Connecticut would join California, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington DC in banning the practice.
CT Equality: Leading the fight for equality and justice for LGBTQ people in Connecticut
[From a News Release]
