The city moved closer to passing a local ban on conversion therapy aimed at the LGBT community this week, setting a public hearing on the matter later this month.

The controversial therapy is aimed at changing gender expression, attraction or sexual orientation, usually from same-sex to heterosexual. But it has also been linked to deep mental and physical health risks and suicide, opponents say.

A public hearing will be set at a later date following a unanimous vote by city commissioners.

The measure drew impassioned pleas from LGBT+ advocated to ban the practice. It also drew people who said the ban would inhibit constitutional and parental rights.

City Attorney Cassandra Jackson was unable to identify any active conversion therapy programs in the capital city, but the ordinance would ban it within city limits.

It would not bar mental health providers from expressing their own views to patients, recommending conversion therapy, nor would it prevent mental health providers from recommending or referring patients to other groups, states or municipalities for therapy.

State lawmakers have filed legislation to ban conversion therapy statewide in recent years, but those measures — aimed at those under 18 — went nowhere.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.

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