Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed the bill to ban the harmful practice of conversion therapy on LGBT minors into law Monday. The legislation sailed through the state’s house and senate last month with overwhelming support.
“The [new law] bars health care providers from attempting to change ‘the sexual orientation and gender identity’ of any patient younger than 18,” notes the Boston Globe.
“Being LGBTQ is not an illness or a disease that needs to be cured,” said Arline Isaacson, cochair of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus in a statement reported in the Globe and across media outlets across the country. “These fraudulent treatments are cruel and barbaric. And now thankfully, they are banned in Massachusetts.”
“Ultimately, we all know this bill will ensure that children receive therapy in a healthy, evidence-based and medically sound manner, not one which fosters an atmosphere of self-hate, prejudice and intolerance,” Rep. Kay Khan told WBUR before the vote in the house.
“Massachusetts has always been a trailblazer in advancing civil rights and eliminating discrimination in health care settings for the LGBTQ community,” she said. “This bill is a necessary extension of these historic commitments.”
With Baker’s signature, Massachusetts becomes the 16th state in the country to ban the harmful practice on LGBTQ minors. Colorado’s house and senate recently passed a similar ban but still requires the signature of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, an openly gay man, to make it law. In New England, conversion therapy is banned in all states but Maine, where legislation is currently moving forward.
