Legislation prohibiting a form of therapy aimed at changing
a minor's sexual orientation from gay to straight — the first law of its kind
in the nation — was signed by California's governor
 |
Rich Pedroncelli (AP)
State Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance urged lawmakers
to approve his bill to ban a
controversial form of
psychotherapy aimed at making gay people straight
during
a hearing at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif.,
Tuesday, May 8
|
By Patrick Mcgreevy
Los Angeles Times
SACRAMENTO,
Calif. — Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation prohibiting a form of therapy
aimed at changing a minor's sexual orientation from gay to straight, the first
law of its kind in the nation, officials said Sunday.
State
Sen. Ted Lieu introduced the measure based on his belief that so-called
conversion therapy is nonscientific and dangerous because in some cases
patients have later committed suicide or suffered severe mental and physical
anguish.
"No
one should stand idly by while children are being psychological(ly) abused, and
anyone who forces a child to try to change their sexual orientation must
understand this is unacceptable," said Lieu, a Democrat. "Gov. Brown
should be commended for protecting LGBT youth by ending this type of
quackery."
Kate
Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said the
bill was
