TOLEDO, Ohio — City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban “conversion therapy,” the controversial psychological treatment that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The legislation, approved by a 12-0 vote, makes conversion therapy a fourth-degree misdemeanor with an attached fine for each offense, according to the Associated Press.
The panel said the legislation targets only “medical professionals” and that pastors and other religious leaders can offer assistance to people who seek it, nbc24.com reports.
Gender identity also is protected under the measure, believed to be the most expansive legislation in the country addressing the issue. The therapy has been banned for minors in five states and the District of Columbia. Cincinnati banned the therapy in 2015.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, conversion therapy is a discredited treatment that has been rejected for decades by mainstream medical and mental health organizations.
The group says the therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
