LGBTQ advocates are hoping Arizona lawmakers will consider a ban on conversion therapy for people under the age of 18.
The practice, which aims to change a person’s sexual orientation, is opposed by the A merican Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. But the bill faces some hurdles.
Senate Bill 1426 would make it illegal for licensed therapists to practice any sort of conversion therapy.
"It's [the] practice of attempting to change a person's sexual orientation, often involving shame, verbal abuse, blame and sometimes aversive physical technique," explained Nate Rhoton. He’s the executive director of one-n-ten, an LGBT youth advocacy group. He says conversion therapy can lead to depression, drug use, even suicide.
"So, this is not something that should be looked at as even, I would say, a gay issue," said Rhoton. "It is about protecting our families here in Arizona so that we ensure that we are not losing more young people to suicide because of conversion therapy."
According to the nonprofit group, the Trevor Project, 42% of LGBTQ youth who experienced conversion therapy attempted suicide.
"This is not a Republican or Democrat issue," said Marco Ceglie, a communications consultant for one-n-ten, a nonprofit that serves LGBTQ in metro Phoenix. "These the families that are being preyed on by these mostly for profit companies are families of faith. And it's families of faith that are coming to us saying, telling us their stories of their families being torn apart. They're losing children to suicide."
Several other states have banned conversion therapy including Utah, Nevada and Colorado. In the meantime, some Republican lawmakers introduced a measure that would make it illegal to penalize someone who practices something like conversion therapy, if it’s consistent with that person’s conscious or religious beliefs.That bill will be heard on Wednesday. Senate Bill 1426 has yet to have a hearing.
