California Governor Jerry Brown.
/ Sacramento Bee
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. -- California has become the first state in the country to ban controversial therapy practices that attempt to change the sexual orientation of minors after Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to outlaw them Saturday.
LGBT rights organizations have long been lobbying for this law, claiming such types of therapy can cause major emotional harm for gay kids, including raising their risk for depression and suicide.
In addition to banning "sexual orientation change efforts" for minors, SB1172, which goes into effect Jan. 1, also bans mental health practitioners from providing therapy to kids that aims "to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex."
"This bill bans non-scientific 'therapies' that have driven young people to depression and suicide. These practices have no basis in science or medicine and they will now be relegated to the dustbin of quackery," Brown said in a statement to The Chronicle.
We're asking Facebook fans how they feel about this controversial issue. Is it even possible to "cure" gay kids?
