California took a giant leap toward becoming the first state to ban conversion therapy outright last week when a bill outlawing the discredited gay “cure” treatment passed the State Senate. Conservatives, though, are threatening to take LGBTQ advocates to court if the legislation becomes law.
Sponsored by Assemblymember Evan Low, AB 2943 would ban conversion therapy (sometimes referred to as “reparative therapy”) on individuals of any age. Currently, state law forbids medical or psychological practitioners from offering such services to minors, but a law passed in 2012 — the first of its kind in the nation — did not apply to LGBTQ adults. (read more)