Nevada politician wants to ban ‘gay cure’ therapy
An out gay legislator in the US state of Nevada wants to ban licensed therapists from ‘gay cure’ therapy.
Senator David Parks of Las Vegas has introduced a bill to outlaw the widely condemned practice.
Senate Bill 201 would concern psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, family therapists and other clinical counsellors.
It would stop short of banning religious ‘counsellors’ like pastors from attempting to ‘cure’ the sexual orientation of a person.
Those opposed to the bill on Monday argued that adults and the parents of gay children should be allowed to opt-in to the practice if they so wish.
But, along the lines of many major medical bodies, Senator Parks argues that the practice can be harmful to recipients.
Five US states have already banned the practice, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia.
Cincinnati, Ohio is the only other city to specifically ban the practice, joined by Seattle in November 2016.
Hawaii also introduced legislation to ban the practice in 2016.
The controversial practice seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual.
It has been widely disproven, particularly by most major medical bodies. The American Psychological Association has stated that the practice can be damaging, and can lead to depression, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse.
Lawyers from the Liberty Counsel, who defended Kim Davis the clerk who refused to marry gay couples, said they would sue Palm Springs if the county moves to ban gay ‘cure’ therapies.