The ban was approved by a unanimous City Council vote.

Members of the Denver City Council have unanimously given their vote to ban all conversion therapy practices aimed towards minors . These therapies were done to change the sexual orientation of a child. Such a step made Denver the maiden Colorado jurisdiction to implement such a ban. Conversion therapy is a pseudo-science practice of attempting to change the sexual orientation of any person from being bisexual or homosexual to heterosexual. Conversion specialists use so-called “spiritual” or “psychological” interventions to achieve their aims.

Mayor Michael Hancock of Denver was the first one to ask for a proposal to ban this practice. He is a member of the Office of Human Rights and Community Partnerships. The mayor, a Democrat, along with two members of the city council, Jolon Clark and Robin Kniech, submitted their proposal to the committee brought together by the Denver City Council in December. Mayor Hancock celebrated the event on the night of January 7, saying the institution of such a ban is one of his administration’s many achievements and is a proud moment not only for the government but also for any Denver resident who prefers acceptance and inclusion.

For the Denver mayor, this public issue hits closer to home. Hancock, in an interview, said his family gave his brother all the love and support needed when the latter came out as gay to the family. Like his brother, all the LGBTQ people living in Denver should get the same welcome and be proud of who they are. The community should feel that the city welcomes them. The city, in turn, must provide safety, happiness, and well-being to the LGBTQ people.

Thank you #Denver for banning conversion therapy. I've witnessed the long term impact of this "therapy" on someone I love deeply. As a trained therapist who's worked as a counselor, I can attest to the fact that #conversiontherapy is much more aligned with abuse than healing. pic.twitter.com/tByZNughHa — Candi CdeBaca (@CandiforCouncil) January 8, 2019

According to the Denver administration, this proposal is aimed squarely towards state-licensed therapists carrying out their practice in the city. These people make fraudulent claims about being transgenderism and homosexuality as a mental affliction that can be “cured.” Parents of gay children fall victim to such practices. For Denver and its mayor, this success happened after they tasted failure multiple times to ban all conversion therapies in Colorado. The proposals were defeated four times before. Emboldened by Denver’s success, the state General Assembly is anticipated to adopt similar legislation in 2019. Mental health experts have vehemently condemned any kinds of conversion therapy, saying these attempts cause long term psychological harm to the victim.

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