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Nevada bill would ban gay-to-straight conversion therapy for minors

The bill would prohibit social workers and psychotherapists from providing sexual orientation and gender identity conversion therapy to LGBT youth under the age of 18.
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Nevada bill would ban gay-to-straight conversion therapy for minors
Nevada state capitol in Carson City.
Nevada state capitol in Carson City.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada lawmakers are reviewing a bill that would ban therapies aimed at turning gay young people straight.

Democratic Sen. David Parks is sponsoring SB 353 and testified on the bill on Monday during a Senate Commerce, Labor and Energy Committee meeting.

The bill would prohibit social workers and psychotherapists from providing sexual orientation and gender identity conversion therapy to people under the age of 18. Parks said the therapy is unscientific and unethical and can permanently damage minors during their formative years.

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The proposal would allow minors to file a lawsuit if they received sexual orientation conversion therapy as a minor.

Therapist Ronald Lawrence compared the practice to human torture and said minors who underwent conversion therapy have similar symptoms to people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The committee took no action on the bill.

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