(File photo)

The US state of Washington has advanced a bill which would ban the practice of gay ‘cure’ therapy for minors.

The Senate in the state passed Senate Bill 5722.

Supporters of the bill hope that it will pass through the House in the state and be written into law.

SB 5722 hopes to ban the practice of gay ‘cure’ therapy for minors.

The bill’s passing was celebrated by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

“No child should ever be subjected to the dangerous and barbaric practice of conversion therapy. It amounts to nothing more than child abuse,” said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse.

“We applaud the Washington State Senate for voting to protect the Evergreen State’s LGBTQ youth. It is crucial that the Washington House of Representatives quickly pass the measure.”

If it bans the practice, Washington state will join the states of Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, New Mexico, and Rhode Island which have already banned the practice.

Cities such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida, New York, and Arizona have also passed similar ordinances.

Rhode Island last July became the latest US state to ban gay ‘cure’ therapy.

PinkNews recently compiled a list of all of the organisations which have come out against the practice of gay ‘cure’ therapies.

Campaigners recently joined forces in order to push for gay ‘conversion’ therapy to be banned worldwide.

The GOP’s 2016 national party platform included support for conversion therapy, to much outrage from LGBT groups.

It said: “We support the right of parents to determine the proper treatment or therapy, for their minor children.”