First Federal Bill to Anti-LGBT Conversion Therapy Introduced in Congress

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Today, Democratic Congressman Ted. W. Lieu of California will introduce in Congress the first federal bill to ban LGBT conversion therapy.

The “Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act,” explains the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), “would amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to clarify that providing conversion therapy to any person in exchange for monetary compensation or advertising such services is an unfair or deceptive act or practice. This legislation would give the Federal Trade Commission the duty to enforce this provision in accordance with existing law.”

“This vitally important legislation has the potential to save countless lives across this country by helping to end a practice that uses fear and shame to tell LGBT people the only way to find love or acceptance is to change the very nature of who they are,” says HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “We’re proud to work alongside Congressman Lieu and our partners to send a different message – a message of hope, acceptance, and love where such a demeaning and destructive practice isn’t promoted as useful therapy. Ending this harmful profit-making practice is something that all of Congress should be able to rally behind.”

So far, four states have passed anti-LGBT conversion therapy bills, including California, D.C., Oregon, and New Jersey. These laws ban licensed professionals from administering “reparative therapy” on minors, but, as HRC clarifies, “the federal ‘Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act’ would prohibit conversion therapy in exchange for monetary compensation for all ages.”

Stay tuned for updates.