TRENTON — A bill that would prohibit licensed therapists in New Jersey from providing gay-to-straight "conversion therapy" to minors won final legislative passage in the state Senate today.



The Senate approved the bill (A3371), 28-9; the Assembly passed it Monday. It now heads to the governor's desk for consideration.



Gov. Chris Christie has publicly stated his opposition to conversion therapy, so supporters are hopeful he will sign it into law. Opponents say the bill violates the rights of parents to make decisions for their children.

"This practice is an abuse of the term therapy and it is abuse in no uncertain terms," said Troy Stevenson, executive director of Garden State Equality, a gay rights organization that lobbied for the bill's passage. "Any attempt to take an immutable and fundamental aspect of a person's character and change it to suit someone else's will is selfish and often soul destroying for the victim. The legislation passed today will save lives; it will protect our youth; and it is vital that the Governor sign the bill as soon as possible."

“Conversion therapy not only has no basis in science, it has proven to be harmful to young people,” said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), one of the bill’s sponsor. “Most of the major psychiatric, psychological and counseling organizations have warned of dangers of this practice. I believe it is a type of child abuse that should be prevented.”

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