California bans teenage gay conversion therapy

[Jazzy]

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law a ban on therapy aimed at making gay teenagers straight.



When the law comes into effect on 1 January, the Golden State will become the first to outlaw the practice for people under the age of 18.



The bill was backed by mental health groups, and gay rights activists say reparative or conversion therapy can increase risk of depression or suicide.



Counselling and prayer is used to help some Christians deal with gay urges.



The bill was signed over the weekend along with more than 100 pieces of legislation sent to the governor by California's state legislature.



'Junk science'



In a statement, Mr Brown said sexual orientation change efforts have no basis in science or medicine and they will now be relegated to the dustbin of quackery.



The Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group, said: We're grateful to Governor Brown for standing with California's children.



LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] youth will now be protected from a practice that has not only been debunked as junk science, but has been proven to have drastically negative effects on their well-being, the gay rights advocate added, urging other states to take up similar measures.



But the National Association for Research and Therapy on Homosexuality said the bill was a legislative over-reach.



Some conservative groups have said banning the therapy would restrict a parent's right to care for children going through gender confusion.

Source



It took a law to figure out you can't make gays straight?

 

[DrLeftover]

I didn't know anybody still did this, or attempted to, or whatever.

 

[Jazzy]

Looks like California has a battle coming up:



As California Senate Bill 1172 is signed by Governor Jerry Brown NARTH and Liberty Counsel begin legal battle!



Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of the Liberty University School of Law will be a featured speaker at the 2012 NARTH conference in Orlando. Florida. Dean Staver will address SB 1172 and the legal challenge being waged to overturn this repressive legislation that limits parental rights and the right of individuals to seek assistance for unwanted homosexuality.



Staver, a NARTH member for many years, and the team at Liberty Counsel headed by attorney Richard Mast have been working closely with NARTH and NARTH clinical members in California quitely preparing for the legal battle ahead. While the NARTH legislative team has been working hard to defeat SB 1172 Liberty Counsel has been preparing to challenge the new law in court if the efforts to defeat the legislation failed. Now that Governor Jerry Brown has signed the bill the legal battle begins!



Source



What the heck is unwanted homosexuality?

 

[Evil Eye]

They're gonna protest? Oh dear...

It took a law to figure out you can't make gays straight?

It took a law to ban sexuality-brainwashing. Unfortunately.

I didn't know anybody still did this, or attempted to, or whatever.

I thought those camps were still operational in some (western) places.

 

[Sinon]

What the heck is unwanted homosexuality?

I assume it's for people who are gay, but don't want to be gay, if that makes sense. I don't see the point myself, but some people are weird like that. Really it's not all that different to someone getting gender reassignment.