House Democrats seek to ban gay conversion therapy nationwide

House Democrats on Tuesday introduced legislation that would ban the discredited practice of conversion therapy – when a mental health professional attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity .

States including California and New Jersey have enacted legislation that limits the practice, as has Washington DC, but the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act seeks to put a federal ban on conversion therapy by blocking people from offering or marketing it as a commercial enterprise.

Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, and Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Washington, introduced the legislation. It seeks to amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to state that the service is unfair or deceptive. This would give the agency the power to enforce the provision and it would also make advertising for such therapies illegal.

The Obama administration in April said it supported efforts to ban the practice ,,,

House Democrats seek to ban gay conversion therapy nationwide

Supreme Court Upholds California's Ban on Gay Reparative Therapy For Children - The New Civil Rights Movement

The Supreme Court has refused certiorari to two cases challenging the California law prohibiting practitioners from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender expression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children. Since they are the court of last resort, that means going forward, mental health professionals may no longer offer gay reparative therapy, also known as "gay conversion therapy" or "ex-gay therapy", to minors, regardless of their parent's wishes. Professionals who violate the law can be sanctioned by state licensing authorities and professional organizations, and may be sued for damages by patients.

The law, originally Senate Bill 1172 authored by state senator Ted Lieu, was signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2012, but was immediately challenged in two separate cases by psychiatrists claiming it infringed the free speech rights of therapists. The 9th Circuit denied their challenges, upholding the law, and today the Supreme Court has made their decision final.

Supreme Court Upholds California's Ban on Gay Reparative Therapy For Children - The New Civil Rights Movement